[1] Semper, writing in 1869, says of education among the natives. “The Christian Spaniard has not been able to exert much more influence of a spiritual than of a political nature upon the character of the natives. Popular education was formerly, and is now, entirely in the hands of the priests. Excepting the professors of common and Roman law all the chairs of the University of Santo Tomás of Manila are in the hands of the priests, who naturally arrange not only the theological lectures, but those upon metaphysics, physics, and logic, as well, according to the principles of the Catholic Church. In the provinces every village has its public schools in which instruction is obligatory; but, besides reading and writing, only Christian doctrine and church music are taught. This instruction, moreover, is by no means generally given in Spanish; at least, the general introduction of Spanish is still so recent that it will be long before the Spanish officials will be able to converse, even with their subordinates, in Spanish. On the east coast of Mindanao, one of the oldest and most settled provinces, the native dialect was exclusively used until forty or fifty years ago, and the priests used the old Malay alphabet until the beginning of the century, even in their official business. The number of natives—the Spaniards call them ‘Indians’—who can read and write is tolerably large, but owing to the total unreliability of all statistics on the subject, nothing accurate can be stated. In 1863 the Government attempted to make an enumeration of the population, and, incidentally, to note the number of those who could read and write. The fact that the result was never published seems to confirm the opinion that an unsatisfactory condition of things was found.” See Census of Philippines, iii, p. 577. [↑]
[2] Under late Spanish domination, there were 67 private Latin schools in the archipelago, of which 23 were in the province of Manila, and nearly all the others in Luzón. In the term of 1886–87, there were 41 private schools, of secondary instruction, twelve of which were in the suburbs of Manila, two in the walled city, and the rest in the provinces of Luzón and the Visayas. Of the 41 professors in charge thereof, only one had the degree of doctor, eight were licentiates, and the rest held the degree of bachelor of arts. The course of study in these schools included Latin and Spanish grammar, Christian doctrine and sacred history, general geography and geography of Spain and the Philippines, Latin translation and analysis, elementary Greek, general history and history of Spain and the Philippines, arithmetic and algebra, rhetoric and poetry, geometry and plane trigonometry, and French. The attendance in 1895–96 was 1,915. They were under the charge of licentiates, in philosophy or science, or bachelors of arts who must have passed a teacher’s examination, and were under inspectors, one of whom was appointed by the rector of the university, who was ex-officio head of all the schools of the islands. Some of the schools had a one-year course, others two, and others three. The teachers were Filipinos. The supervisors of public instruction had the power to visit the schools, and recommend their establishment or removal. The pupils were required to enrol and be examined in the university, except those in distant provinces, who could be examined by a board composed of the alcalde-mayor, the parish priest, and the respective professor. The result of the examination was sent to the secretary of the university. The Dominicans had one private school at Dagupan (Pangasinán), founded 1890–91; the Franciscans, that of Guinobatan (Albay), founded 1894–95; and the Recollects that of Bacólod (Negros Occidental), founded 1895. There are still a number of private schools in the archipelago. During recent years many have sprung up in Manila and the provinces which give primary and secondary education, although the instruction is generally poor. Some of them have been started in answer to the complaint of some Filipino parents that the American schools are godless; some have been started by Roman Catholic priests for the purpose of combating purely secular instruction; and some are the expression of Filipino nationality and independence. Within ten months, since June, 1901, 29 new private schools were opened in Manila alone. They are generally patterned after the old method, and are either teaching in Spanish or the vernacular. The popular demand for English has compelled many of them to make a show of teaching it, but it is generally being attempted without adequate teachers. It was suggested that the curriculum in such schools, except in matters of religious instruction, conform to the course of the public schools, and that they be under the official inspection, such a course making it possible to have a real compulsory school law. The Liceo de Manila is a school organized and run by Filipinos. The late C. J. Zulueta was professor of history in this school and read an address at its opening, June 19, 1902. See LeRoy’s Philippine Life, pp. 223, 224; Census of Philippines, iii, pp. 599, 600; Report of Commissioner of Education, 1899–1900, ii, p. 1622, 1901, ii, pp. 1437, 1438; and Archipiélago Filipino, i, pp. 344, 345. [↑]
[3] i.e., Those wearing the cape or cloak. [↑]
[4] Later transformed into the Ateneo Municipal, q.v., post. [↑]
[5] This school was located in the same building as the nautical school, and was established July 15, 1839 at the request of the board of trade, which had presented its petition to this effect, October 1, 1838. The report of 1883 shows a total enrolment of 562 pupils in double entry bookkeeping for the years 1866–72, with a graduation of 91; and an enrolment of 228 for the study of English, with a graduation of 57. See Census of Philippines, iii, p. 614; and Montero y Vidal, Historia, iii, p. 30. [↑]
[6] See these instructions, in VOL. VII, pp. 141–172. [↑]
[7] See VOL. XVIII, pp. 282–288 for documents of 1610–19 regarding the grant of an encomienda made to this school or seminary. [↑]
[8] Perhaps for pinaua, which signifies “half-pounded rice,” or “rice without the husk, but not bleached.” [↑]
[9] Its foundation was approved in 1816, and endowed with the fitting rules and vocations, it had for some time only the character of a beaterio. In 1865 it was elevated to the rank of a school of higher grade. See Archipiélago Filipino, i, pp. 352, 353. [↑]