Civilizational Imperatives
This chapter refers to John Bates, who received directives from Manila to emphasize the benefits of new educational forms to Sultan Kiram in 1899. It details the assignment of select Americans to impart constant valuable information among the Tausūg in industrial and mechanical pursuits through the medium of schools. It also looks at Bates's studies on regional colonial histories during his time on Jolo, noting in his reports that the British in Malaya curbed piracy and slavery through the establishment of industrial schools. The chapter highlights the public schools in Mindanao-Sulu that operated in an ad hoc fashion between 1899 and 1903. It notes the character and resources of schools that varied greatly by community although they were technically run by the Department of Public Instruction in Manila, such as the small pandita schoolhouses in some areas.