The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898; Volume 46, 1721-1739 / Explorations by early navigators, descriptions of the islands and their peoples, their history and records of the Catholic missions, as related in contemporaneous books and manuscripts, showing the political, economic, commercial and religious conditions of those islands from their earliest relations with European nations to the close of the nineteenth century

by Unknown

At the recommendation of the minister of the colony, in the name of my august son, King Don Alfonso XIII, and as queen regent of the kingdom,

I decree the following:

Article 1. In order to attend to the necessities of primary education in the Philippine Archipelago, and with the object of turning out fitting women teachers, to whom to entrust the development, progress, and successful direction of the same, a superior normal school for women teachers is created which shall be established in Manila.

Art. 2. The direction and personal oversight of said centre of education shall be in charge of the congregation of the Augustinian nuns of the Assumption, established in the royal school of Santa Isabel of this capital.

Art. 3. The sums for the staff and equipment of the above-named school shall be assigned in the general budgets of expenses and receipts of Filipinas for the present year, and shall be distributed in the following manner: 7,900 pesos for the teaching force and management, and 4,500 pesos for equipment.

Art. 4. For the management of teaching in this school, there shall be five regular instructresses, two assistants—one of the department of letters, the other of sciences—one music and singing instructress, and another for hall gymnastics, and one professor of religion and ethics who shall also be the chaplain of the institution.

Art. 5. To obtain the post of regular instructress in the school created by this decree, the holding of a teacher’s certificate of superior primary instruction shall be an indispensable condition. Such academical studies shall have been carried on in the national normal schools.

Art. 6. The directress and regular instructresses shall be appointed by royal order by the minister of the colonies, from the aspirants who solicit said posts from the above-mentioned congregation of the Augustinian nuns of the Assumption.

Art. 7. The teachers’ certificate which shall be given in this school shall comprise two grades—elementary and superior.

The teaching corresponding to the first shall be in three courses. The second shall include one course more [than the first].