Rizal in Ateneo: education

in Manila (1872-1877)
Education in the 19th century Philippines

 Educational institutions were administered and operated by different religious

orders.
 Augustinians, Franciscans, Dominicans, Jesuits, Recollects
 Known schools and date of establishment
 Unibersidad de Sto. Tomas (UST) – 1611
 Colegio de San Juan de Letran – 1620
 Ateneo Municipal de Manila – 1859 as Escuela Municipal, 1865 as Ateneo
 How education was opened to the ‘Filipinos’?
 Educational Act of 1863
 There were only three secondary schools in Manila.
Ateneo Municipal de Manila (Old pics)
Ateneo Municipal de Manila (Old pics)
Ateneo de Manila University (today)
Ateneo Municipal de Manila

 Established in 1859 by the Jesuit order located in Intramuros

 Intramuros (walled city) = Manila
 A colegio and not a facultad/universidad
 Offered high school or secondary education
 According to Rafael Palma - Jesuits were considered as best educators of
Spain and perhaps of Europe in 19th century
 Jose Rizal studies at Ateneo for 5 years
 Pursued history, philosophy, science, and poetry
 School hours:
“Sa tulong ng pag-aaral, ng pagsusuri sa aking sarili, ng paghahangad sa dako pa
roon at ng libong pagwawasto, ay unti-unti akong nagbago, salamat sa
makabuluhang tulong ng isang mapagmalasakit na guro.”

“I owe a lot to this Order (the Society of Jesus), almost all that I am to be taken
to be.”

Jose Rizal, 1879

Rizal at Ateneo

 Jose took the entrance exam at Colegio de San Juan de Letran in June 10,
1872.
 Subjects were Christian doctrine, arithmetic, and reading
 He returned to Calamba for town fiesta, “well pleased with himself.”
 Difficulties in entering Ateneo
 The term had already begun
 The Father Minister was rather dubious about the boy’s health
 Paciano secured the help of Father Manuel Xerxes Burgos
Rizal at Ateneo

 Jose enrolled under the surnames Rizal and Mercado (“Why?)

 Rizal to F. Blumentritt:
“After the sad catastrophe (of 1872) (Paciano) had to leave the university because he
was liberal…I had to go to school in Manila at that time and he advised me to use our
second surname, Rizal, to avoid difficulties in my studies…My family never paid much
attention (to our second name) but now I had to use it, thus giving me the appearance
of an illegitimate child.”
Rizal at Ateneo

 What were the teaching methods of the Jesuits?

 According to Jose Rizal:
“You should know that in the Jesuit colleges, two empires were established to
stimulate learning and competition among the students. One was Roman and the other
Carthaginian or Greek, constantly at war, and in which the highest positions were won
by challenges that were successful when the opponent made three mistakes. They put
me at the tail end. I scarcely knew Spanish, but I already understood it.”

Gist: Competition as a method

Rizal at Ateneo

 Rizal and his school records • Rizal and his school

 Grades were categorized as ‘Excellent,’ records
‘Very Good,’ ‘Good,’ ‘Fair’
 1872-73 • 1873-74
 Arithmetic • Latin 2
 Grade: EXCELLENT • Grade: EXCELLENT
 Latin I • Spanish 2
 Grade: EXCELLENT • Grade: EXCELLENT
 Spanish • Greek 2
 Grade: EXCELLENT • Grade: EXCELLENT
 Greek I • Universal Geography
 Grade: EXCELLENT • Grade: EXCELLENT
Rizal at Ateneo

Rizal and his school records


• Rizal and his school records
 1874-75
 Latin 3 • 1875-76
 Grade: EXCELLENT
• Rhetoric and Poetry
 Spanish 3
• Grade: EXCELLENT
 Grade: EXCELLENT
 Greek 3 • French 1
 Grade: EXCELLENT • Grade: EXCELLENT
 Universal History • Geometry and Trigonometry
 Grade: EXCELLENT
• Grade: EXCELLENT
 History of Spain and Philippines
 Grade: EXCELLENT
 Arithmetic and Algebra
 Grade: EXCELLENT
Rizal at Ateneo

 Rizal and his school records
 1876-77
 Philosophy 1
 Grade: EXCELLENT
 Mineralogy and Chemistry
 Grade: EXCELLENT
• Rizal and his school records
• 1877
• Bachelor of Arts
• Grade: EXCELLENT

 Philosophy 2
 Grade: EXCELLENT

 Physics • He graduated
 Grade: EXCELLENT as Sobresaliente or
"Outstanding", the highest
Botany and Zoology

recognition in Ateneo.
 Grade: EXCELLENT
Rizal at Ateneo

 Rizal produced two sculptural pieces.

 Figure of Our Lady and the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (at age of 14)
Rizal at Ateneo

 Jose read the following books:

Pictures at Ateneo
Pictures at Ateneo
Jose Rizal’s Grad Pic at Ateneo
References

 PHA’s Historical Bulletin Vol. XLIII, 2009

 http://www.admu.edu.ph/grade-school/news/looking-back-rizal%E2%80%99s-
ateneo
 The First Filipino: A biography of Jose Rizal