Spanish Educational System

Education during Spanish Period

Brief History

* Almost 333 years, colonize the Philippines. They are after 3G’s (God, Glory, Gold).

* The Spanish Education played a major role in that transformation. The oldest universities, colleges, vocational schools and the first modern public education system in Asia were created during the colonial period. By the time Spain was replaced by the United States as the colonial power, Filipinos were among the most educated subjects in all of Asia.

Main objective/s:

* - To educate the natives through religion in converting them to the Catholic faith.

* - Teach them how to read and write and to learn Spanish Language

Proponents of the Education: Friars and the Spanish Missionaries

Medium of Instruction: Spanish Language

Establishing the Schools

Augustinians opened a school immediately upon arriving in Cebu in 1565.

Franciscans arrived in 1577, taught the people how to read and write.

Jesuits who arrived in 1581, also concentrated on teaching the young.

Dominicans arrived in 1587, they did the same thing in the first mission on Bataan.

Spanish friars studied the native languages and used these language to propagate the faith.

Early Spanish missionaries- first to write the grammars and dictionary of the Filipino languages.

Arte y regalas d la lengua tagala (1610)- first published Tagalog grammar written by Fr. Francisco Blancas de San Jose.

Doctrina Christiana en lengua espanola y Tagala was the first book printed in the Philippines in about 1590 to 1592. the goal of the book was to propagate the Christian teachings around Manila.

Other books:

* Doctrina Christiana letra y lengua China

* Tratado de la Doctrina de la Santa Iglesia y de Ciencias naturales written by Fr. Juan de Cobo (1593)

Pedro Chirino and Francisco Martin had established a school for Visayan boys in 1593. They taught not only catechism but reading, writing Spanish, and liturgical music. It was the first Jesuits boarding school to be established in the Philippines.

Tomas Pinpin (sometimes referred as the “Partriach of Filipino Printing”) wrote his famous Librong Pagaaralan nang manga Tagalog nang Uicang Castilla (was printed in Bataan in 1610) that was meant to help Filipinos learn the Spanish language.

Printing System

* The first Filipino press in the Philippines was established by the Dominicans in Manila in the year 1593.

* First printing press is by means of old xylographic method.

University of Santo Tomas Press- one of the oldest printing establishment in the world.

Manual de Medicinas Caseras written by Fr. Fernando de Santa Maria, first published in 1763. It was reprinted on several editions by 1885

Colegio de Santa Potenciana (1589)- first school and college for girls.

Other schools and colleges for girls:

* Colegio de Santa Isabela (1632)

* Santa Catalina

* La Concordia

* They established schools for orphaned girls who could not educate themselves.

College of Manila

* First college for boys founded by the Jesuits in Manila in 1589

* Later change to College of San Ignacio

College of San Ildefonso(1595) in Cebu

College of San Jose (1601) in Manila

Escuela Pia (1859)- public schools for boys in Manila

- later change to Ateneo de Manila

- one of the prestigious universities in the country

Manila the College of Our lady of the Rosary (1611) founded by the Dominicans

- Later changed to College of Santo Tomas

- after several years which is now the University of Santo Tomas

Curriculum for the boys:

* Greek - Natural Science

* Latin - Humanities

* Spanish

* Philosophy

* Rhetoric

The course lasted 5 years

University of San Ignacio- first university in the Philippines.

Pope Gregory XV- elevated the rank of the university (1621)

1768- It was closed when the Jesuits were expelled from the Philippines.

College of San Ildefonso (1595) in Cebu was also closed. But reopened in 1783 as the Colegio- Seminario de san Carlos (which became the University of San Carlos in 1988)

University of Santo Tomas (1611) was founded by the Dominicans

1645- upon the request of King Philip IV of Spain, Pope Innocent X raised it to the rank of the university.

University of San Felipe- established in Manila by a royal decree of king Philip V of Spain

1726- it was closed.

Pampanga School of Arts and Trade (March 16, 1861)- a private school founded by Filipinos (Fr. Juan Zita and Felino Gil)

1843- percentage of literacy in the Philippines was relatively high

1867- 593 elementary schools with 133, 990 children

1898- 2, 150 schools with a total enrolment of more than 200, 000

Del Superior Goveirno (Of the Superior Government)- first newspaper in the Philippines.

Gov. Gen. Manuel Gonzale de Aguilar- editor of the newspaper.

Aug. 8, 1811- first time appeared in Manila

July 4, 1813- Last issue

Other Newspaper:

La Esperanza (1846)- first daily newspaper

La Illustacion Filipina (1859)- first illustrated periodical

El Catolico Filipino (1862)- first religious newspaper

La Opinion (1887)- first political newspaper

El Ilokano (1889)- first vernacular newspaper

El Hogar (1893)- first women’s magazine