Thomasites

The Thomasites were a group of 600 American teachers who traveled from the United States to the newly occupied territory of the Philippines on the US Army Transport Thomas.

[2] The Thomasites arrived in the Philippines on August 21,[3] 1901, to establish a new public school system, to teach basic education, and to train Filipino teachers, with English as the medium of instruction.

[4][5][6][7][8][9][10] Adeline Knapp, Thomasite and author of The Story of the Philippines, said:[11][12] Our nation has found herself confronted by a great problem dealing with a people who neither know nor understand the underlying principles of our civilization, yet who, for our mutual happiness and liberty, must be brought into accord with us ... the American genius, reasoning from its own experience in the past, seeks a solution of the problem, a bridging of the chasm, through the common schools.

The name Thomasite was derived from the United States Army Transport Thomas which brought the educators to the shores of Manila Bay.

The US Army opened the Philippines' first public school in Corregidor Island, after Admiral George Dewey vanquished the Spanish Pacific fleet in Manila Bay on May 1, 1898.

They traveled from the customs house near the Anda Circle then stayed at the walled city Intramuros, Manila before being given initial provincial assignments which included Albay, Catanduanes, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Sorsogon, Masbate, Samar, Zambales, Aparri, Jolo, Negros, Cebu, Dumaguete, Bulacan, Bataan, Batangas, Pangasinan, and Tarlac.

[5][6][7][8][9][10] The Thomasites taught the following subjects: English, agriculture, reading, grammar, geography, mathematics, general courses, trade courses, housekeeping and household arts (sewing, crocheting, and cooking), manual trading, mechanical drawing, freehand drawing, and athletics (baseball, track and field, tennis, indoor baseball, and basketball).