RIZAL’S EDUCATION Studies in Manila Studies in Europe

2. Early Education in Calamba and Biñan  At the age of 3, Rizal learned the alphabet from his mother. 
At the age of 5, while learning to read and write, Rizal already showed inclinations to be an artist. He
astounded his family and relatives by his pencil drawings and sketches and by his moldings of clay.  At
the age of 8, Rizal wrote a Tagalog poem, "Sa Aking Mga Kabata," the theme of which revolves on the
love of one’s language.

3. “Sa Aking Mga Kabata” Kapagka ang baya'y sadyang umiibig Ang wikang Tagalog tulad din sa Latin Sa
kanyang salitang kaloob ng langit, Sa Ingles, Kastila at salitang anghel, Sanglang kalayaan nasa ring
masapit Sapagka't ang Poong maalam tumingin Katulad ng ibong nasa himpapawid. Ang siyang
naggawad, nagbigay sa atin. Pagka't ang salita'y isang kahatulan Ang salita nati'y huwad din sa iba Sa
bayan, sa nayo't mga kaharian, Na may alfabeto at sariling letra, At ang isang tao'y katulad, kabagay Na
kaya nawala'y dinatnan ng sigwa Ng alin mang likha noong kalayaan. Ang lunday sa lawa noong dakong
una. Ang hindi magmahal sa kanyang salita Mahigit sa hayop at malansang isda, Kaya ang marapat
pagyamaning kusa Na tulad sa inang tunay na nagpala.

4. Early Education in Calamba and Biñan  Rizal’s parents employed private tutors to give him lessons at
home. The first was Maestro Celestino and the second, Maestro Lucas Padua.  Later, an old man
named Leon Monroy, a former classmate of Rizal’s father became his tutor. This teacher lived at the
Rizal home and instructed Rizal in Spanish and Latin. Unfortunately, he did not live long. He died five
months later.  After Monroy’s death, Rizal’s parents decided to send their gifted son to a private school
in Biñan.

5. First Day in Biñan School  Paciano enrolled Rizal to the school of Maestro Justiniano Aquino Cruz. 
Rizal met the bully, Pedro. Rizal, who was angry at this bully for making fun of him during his
conversation with the teacher, challenged Pedro to a fight. Rizal having learned the art of wrestling from
his athletic Tio Manuel, defeated the bigger boy.  After class, a classmate named Andres Salandanan
challenged him to an arm-wrestling match. Rizal having the weaker arm, lost and nearly cracked his
head on the sidewalk.

6. Best Student in School  In academic studies, Rizal beat all Binan boys. He surpassed them all in
Spanish, Latin, and other subjects.  They were all jealous of his intellectual superiority that they
wickedly squealed to the teacher whenever Rizal had a fight outside the school, and even told lies to
discredit him before the teacher’s eyes. Consequently the teacher had to punish Rizal.  He received
many whippings and strokes from the ferule. Rare was the day when he was not stretched on the bench
for a whipping or punished with five or six blows on the open palm.

7. Education in Manila  Ateneo Municipal de Manila  Bachelor of Arts degree in 1877 at the age of 16
 Graduated as one of the nine students declared sobresaliente  Continued his education to obtain a
degree in land surveying and assessor

8. Ateneo Municipal de Manila  Rizal was a member of the academy of Spanish Literature and the
Academy of Natural Sciences.  Wrote his first poem Mi Primera Inspiracion (My First Inspiration) which
was dedicated to his mother on her birthday.  He also wrote Through Education Our Motherland
Receives Light and The Intimate Alliance Between Religion and Good Education which showed the
importance of religion in education.
9. “Mi Primera Inspiracion” Why falls so rich a spray Why seems to me more endearing, of fragrance
from the bowers more fair than on other days, of the balmy flowers the dawn's enchanting face upon
this festive day? among red clouds appearing? Why from woods and vales The reason, dear mother, is
do we hear sweet measures ringing they feast your day of bloom: that seem to be the singing the rose
with its perfume, of a choir of nightingales? the bird with its harmonies. And the spring that rings with
laughter Why in the grass below upon this joyful day do birds start at the wind's noises, with its murmur
seems to say: unleashing their honeyed voices "Live happily ever after!“ as they hop from bough to
bough? And from that spring in the grove Why should the spring that glows now turn to hear the first
note its crystalline murmur be tuning that from my lute I emote to the zephyr's mellow crooning to the
impulse of my love! as among the flowers it flows?

10. Education in Manila  University of Santo Tomas  Studied Philosophy and Letters during his first
year  Shifted to Medicine specializing in Ophthalmology when he found out that his mother was going
blind

11. University of Santo Tomas Rizal was unhappy at this Dominican Institution of higher learning
because: (1) the Dominican professors were hostile to him (2) the Filipino students were racially
discriminated against by the Spaniards (3) the method of instruction was obsolete and repressive After
finishing the fourth year of his medical course, Rizal decided to study in Spain . He could no longer
endure the rampant bigotry, discrimination, and the hostility in the University of Santo Tomas.

12. Education in Europe  Traveled alone to Europe  Madrid in May 1882  Continued his studies in
Medicine at the Universidad Central de Madrid  Degree of Licentiate in Medicine in 1884  Degree of
Philosophy and Letters in 1885

13. Spain as a realization  It was a venue for realizing Rizal’s dreams.  He finished his studies in Madrid
and this to him was the realization of the bigger part of his ambition.  His vision broadened to the point
of awakening in him an understanding of human nature, sparking in him the realization that his people
needed him.  It must have been this sentiment that prompted him to pursue, during the re-
organizational meeting of the Circulo- Hispano-Filipino, to be one of its activities, the publication of a
book to which all the members would contribute papers on the various aspects and conditions of
Philippines life.

14. Spain as a realization  The proposal for the book was unanimously approved.  But afterwards,
difficulties and objections were raised, and a number of gentlemen stood up and refused to discuss the
matter any further in 1884.  Rizal decided not to press the issue any longer.  Although the book was
never written, the next year, Pedro Paterno published his Ninay, a novel sub-titled Costumbres filipinas
(Philippines Customs), thus partly fulfilling the original purpose of Rizal’s plan.

15. Noli Me Tangere  The idea of writing a novel grew on him, and later he decided to write and
worked hard for Noli Me Tangere  He never told anyone about it until it was finished, though some of
his companions knew what he was doing  He wrote half of the novel in Madrid, a quarter of it in Paris
and the rest in Germany

16. Education in Europe  University of Paris (France)  University of Heidelberg (Germany)  Earned a
second doctorate  Inducted as a member of the Berlin Ethnological Society and the Berlin
Anthropological Society under the patronage of the famous pathologist Rudolf Virchow
17. University of Heidelberg  25-year-old Rizal completed in 1887 his eye specialization under the
renowned Prof. Otto Becker in Heidelberg  Left Heidelberg a poem, “A las flores del Heidelberg”; both
an evocation and a prayer for the welfare of his native land and the unification of common values
between East and West

18. A las flores del Heidelberg Go to my country, go foreign flowers, That when the rising sun the height
Carry, carry, flowers of Rhine, Planted by the traveler on his way, Of Koenigsthul in early morn first spies,
Love to every love of mine, And there beneath that sky of blue And with its tepid light Peace to my
country and her fertile loam, That over my beloved towers, Is pouring life in valley, wood, and Virtue to
her women, courage to her men, Speak for this traveler to say grove, Salute those darling ones again,
What faith in his homeland he He greets the sun as it begins to rise, Who formed the sacred circle of our
home. breathes to you. Which in his native land is blazing straight above. And when you reach that
shore, Go and say.... Say that when the dawn Each kiss I press upon you now, First brew your calyx open
there And tell them of that day he staid Deposit on the pinions of the wind, Beside the River Necker chill,
And plucked you from the border of the And those I love and honor and adore You saw him standing by
you, very path, Will feel my kisses carried to their brow. still, Amid the ruins of the feudal castle,
Reflecting on the primrose flush you By the River Neckar, and in the sylvan Ah, flowers, you may fare
through, wear. shade. Conserving still, perhaps, your native hue; Yet, far from Fatherland, heroic loam
Say that when the morning light Tell them what he told you To which you owe your life, Her toll of
perfume from you wrung, As tenderly he took The perfume will be gone from you; While playfully she
whispered, "How I Your pliant leaves and pressed them in For aroma is your soul; it cannot roam love
you!“ a book, Beyond the skies which saw it born, nor He too murmured here above you Where now its
well-worn pages close e'er forget. Tender love songs in his native enfold you. tongue.

19. Rizal’s Life in Europe  Jose Rizal lived in Europe for 10 years.  He could converse in more than 10
different tongues.  Excelled at martial arts, fencing, sculpture, painting, teaching, anthropology, and
journalism, among other things.  During his European sojourn, he also began to write novels. Rizal
finished his first book, Noli Me Tangere, while living in Wilhemsfeld with the Reverend Karl Ullmer.