The life pensions for widows and orphans were two-thirds of the retirement pay granted or due the deceased. The temporary pensions amounted to 10 per cent per annum of the regular salary and conformed to the following scale: The funds for the payment of the salaries of retired teachers and their pensions consisted of: 1. An allotment of 6,000 pesos per annum, granted by the Government and charged to the budget of Cuba. 2. Ten per cent of the total amount of the budget of expenses for educational material of the normal schools and primary instruction. 3. The amount of the personal salaries of teachers of vacant schools until the appointment and taking of possession by temporary teachers. 4. Half the salaries of teachers temporarily serving in public schools, provided they exceeded 300 pesos. 5. The amount realized by a discount of 3 per cent of the salaries of the persons who were entitled to be retired with salary. The provincial boards of public instruction were charged with the collection of the amounts mentioned in Nos. 2, 3, 4, and 5, and their deposit in the Spanish Bank of Cuba. The collection of the allotment of the State was made by a central board in Madrid, which also decided who were entitled to retirement with salary and pensions. It was also intrusted with the administration of all the funds which might be collected by the provincial boards of public instruction, until on May 11, 1898, the department of public instruction of the colonial government of Cuba ordered that the provincial boards of public instruction of the island should take charge of all matters relating to retirements and pensions instead of the central board of Madrid, and organized, by an order of the 24th of the same month and year, a board to take charge of the administration of the funds of the schools of Cuba and of the declaration of the rights of retirement of teachers, etc., of the island. It is not difficult to understand that under such a system there were many abuses, and that the small allotment of funds for school purposes was seriously crippled, and such was the case. This was so apparent that on April 13, 1899, the secretary of justice and public instruction, duly authorized by the Military Governor, repealed all the decrees relating to pensions of the teachers of primary instruction, ordering that from the 1st of April following nothing should be deducted from the personal salaries of teachers for pensions, nor from the amounts for the payment of material for the schools, and that the board created by the department of public instruction of the colonial government of Cuba be dissolved. The expenses occasioned by this board amounted to $10,300 per annum, charged to the general budget of the island, and the pensions paid only amounted to $8,716.92 per annum. Substitute teachers were abolished by General Brooke. The number of public and private schools, colleges, institutes, etc., in operation January 1, 1895, and the cost thereof, as reported by the Department of Public Instruction, is given in the following table: Colleges. Schools. Habana 219 Matanzas 143 Pinar del Rio. 159 Puerto Principe. 37 Santa Clara.. 221 Santiago de Cuba. Cost of education as per municipal, provincial, and State budgets. Students. Professors. 584 deducted from the personal salaries of teachers for pensions, or f the amounts for the payment of material for the schools, and that the board created by the department of public instruction of the cita government of Cuba be dissolved. The expenses occasioned by this board amounted to $10.30 pe annum, charged to the general budget of the island, and the pensie paid only amounted to $5,716.92 per annum. Substitute teachers were abolished by General Brooke. The number of public and private schools, colleges, institutes. e. in operation January 1, 195, and the cost thereof, as reported by th Department of Public Instruction, is given in the following table: Public schools. Private schools. Colleges Province. Matatizas Pinar del Rio 143 158 5,812 Santa Clara Puerto Principe 1.817 Santiago de Cuba. 221 244 8.287 125 138 6,341 120 Total Cost of education as per municipal, provincial, and State budgets. Students. Profes sional. Art school. Norma school 217888 720 58 671 9 60 538 16 143 32 72 99 120 64 1,186 58 671 9 60 4 538 16 |
