RIZAL AS A TEACHER

● Since boyhood he knew the value of good

education.

● He planned to establish a modern college in Hong

Kong for Filipino boys so that he could train them
in modern pedagogical concepts, which were then
unknown in the Philippines.

● Exile to Dapitan – gave him the opportunity to put

into practice his educational ideas.
● In 1893 he established a school which existed
until the end of his exile in July, 1896.
○ It began with 3 pupils.
○ The enrolment increased to 16 and later to 21.

● In his letter to Blumentritt on March 13, he said

that he had 16 pupils in his school and that these
pupils did not pay any tuition.

● Instead of charging them tuition fees, he made

them work in his garden, fields, and construction
projects in the community.
● Rizal taught his boys reading, writing, languages
(Spanish and English), geography, history,
mathematics (arithmetic and geometry),
industrial work, nature study, morals and
gymnastics.

● He trained them to collect specimens of plants

and animals, to love work, and to
“behave-like-men.”

● Formal classes – between 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.

 Rizal, the
teacher, sat on
a hammock.

Pupils sat on a
long bamboo
bench.
● “emperor” – called for the best pupil
– he sat at the head of the bench
● the poorest pupil occupied the end of the bench.

● Recess time – pupils build fires in the garden to drive

away the insects, pruned the fruit trees, and manure
the soil.

● Outside class hours Rizal encouraged his students to

play games in order to strengthen their bodies. They
had gymnastics, boxing, wrestling, stone throwing,
swimming, arnis (native fencing), and boating.