The Monroe Report, US colonialism and English language education in the Philippines

Abstract

This article focuses on a foundational text in the history of English in the Philippines, that is, the 1925 document, A Survey of the Educational System of the Philippine Islands, which came to be known as ‘The Monroe Report’. Although the Report has often been cited as an emblematic example of colonial control and hegemony, a close scrutiny of the text, as well as a consideration of the historical context, makes possible other more nuanced readings, which situate the Report in the educational progressivism of early 20th century United States, and simultaneously remind us of the continuing relevance of the Report today.