LESSON 3: RIZAL’S EARLY EDUCATION

OBJECTIVES:
At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to:
1. Learn the educational background and influence of Rizal’s family in his career;
2. Compare the educational system of Ateneo and Sto. Tomas according to the views of Rizal;
3. Know the discrimination that Rizal experienced despite of his social status; and
4. Understand that Rizal’s novel Noli Me Tangere was inspired by his childhood memories.

DISCUSSION

HERO’S 1ST TEACHER

The first teacher of Rizal was his mother. He learned alphabets and prayers at the age of 3.
Rizal’s mother was his first tutor. She was so patient and understanding. Doña Teodara was the first to
discover that Rizal had a talent on poetry. She encouraged him to write poems and stimulate his
imaginations.

RIZAL IN BIÑAN LAGUNA

 June, 1869 Rizal left for Binan,

 Was accompanied by Paciano his older brother
 He was taught by Maestro Justiniano
 In academic studies, Rizal beat all Binan boys
 He surpassed them all in Spanish, Latin, and other subjects

In Biñan, Rizal experienced discriminations because he is the only Filipino Student and he was the
object of jealousy because of his disciplined life and intellectual superiority-the best in class in all the
subjects. He was also bullied by his classmate, named, PEDRO, a son of his Spanish Teacher. He was
always challenged for a fight. Rizal was never a quarrelsome or trouble maker but he never ran away
from a fight.

Rizal did not enjoy his schooling under Maestro Justiniano Cruz because of his barbarous
punishment in making the pupils learn his lessons. He even highlighted this in his novel Noli Me Tangere.

RIZAL IN ATENEO

 Ateneo De Municipal established by the Jesuits

 Rizal entered in 1872
 He belonged to the class composed of Spaniards, mestizos and Filipinos
 His teacher was Fr. Jose Bech
 He was considered as an inferior and was placed at the bottom of the class
 By the end of the month he became the emperor and received a prize, a religious picture
 To improve his Spanish Rizal took private lessons in Santa Isabel College
 During his 4th year in Ateneo he received 5 medals and graduated as sobresaliente
 He graduated on March 23, 1877(16 years old)
 Received the degree of bachelor of arts, with highest honors not a valedictorian
 In Ateneo, Rizal was late for registration and undersized for his age at 11 years old. Rizal loved the
Jesuits educational system in Ateneo because of how they trained the students by rigid discipline,
humanities and religious instruction.

Despite of being members of various organizations, he earned excellent marks in all subjects like
philosophy, physics, chemistry, and natural history. At this school, he read novels; wrote prize-winning
poetry (and even a melodrama—“Junto al Pasig”); and practiced drawing, painting, and clay modeling,
all of which remained lifelong interests for him.

During this time also that Rizal experienced his first romance, a love at first with Segunda Katigbak,
14 years old from Lipa, Batangas. He even drew Segunda’s portrait. He visits Segunda weekly on her
boarding house, but, eventually, Rizal learned that Segunda was already engaged to be married with
Manuel Luz, a Spanish Engineer. This was considered as Rizal’s tragic first romance.

RIZAL IN STO. TOMAS

 After graduating, he continued his education at UST

 He finished a year in Philosophy and Letters
 He decided to shift to a medical course
 UST was under the Dominicans, rival of the Jesuits in education
 Remained loyal to Ateneo participated in extracurricular activities in Ateneo and completed a
course in surveying
 As a Thomasian he won more literary laurels
 During his first term in 1877-1878 in UST, he studied Cosmology, Metaphysics, Theodicy and
History of Philosophy.
 It was during the school term 1878-1879 that Rizal pursued his studies in medicine
 Curso de Ampiacion or Advanced course in Physics, Chemistry and Natural History.
 Out of the 28 young men taking Ampliacion only four including Rizal were granted the privilege
of taking simultaneously the preparatory course and the first year of medicine
 Rizal also received his four-year practical training in medicine at the Hospital de San Juan de Dios
in Intramuros
 On May 3, 1882 he boarded on Salvadora bound for Singapore where he was the only Filipino
passenger
 On November 3, 1882, he enrolled in Universidad Central de Madrid taking up two courses:
Philosophy, Letters and Medicine
 On June 21, 1884, he conferred the degree of Licentiate in Medicine
 The Following academic year, he studied and passed all subjects leading to the degree of doctor
of medicine
 Unfortunately, he was not able to submit the thesis required for graduation nor paid the
corresponding fees
 With that, he was not awarded his Doctor’s Diploma

Rizal entered in Sto. Tomas at the age of 16 years old. Rizal studied medicine because he wanted to
be a physician, to cure his mother’s failing eyesight. Also, he followed the advice of Ateneo’s Rector, Fr.
Pablo Ramon. Rizal continued his studies in Europe became eminent for being intellectual and endowed.