Education during the Spanish Regime and Its

Colonial Effects to the Filipinos

The friars controlled the educational system during the Spanish times. They owned different
schools, ranging from the primary level to the tertiary levels of education. The missionaries took
charge in teaching, controlling and maintaining the rules and regulations imposed to the students.

These missionaries emphasized the teachings of the Catholic religion starting from the primary
level to the tertiary level of education. The students in the primary level were taught the
Christian Doctrines, the reading of Spanish books and a little of the natives' language. Science
and Mathematics were not very much taught to the students even in the universities. Aside from
the Christian Doctrines taught, Latin was also taught to the students instead of Spanish.

The schools before were exclusive for the Spaniards. The Filipinos were only able to enter the
schoo.1 in the late 19th century. The schools also limited their accommodations to the sons of
wealthy Filipino families in 1863.
Although the schools were already open for Filipinos, the friars still believed that the Filipinos
would not be able to match their skills and that the only way for the Filipinos to learn fast was
to impose upon them strict discipline which means applying corporal punishment.

Schools Built By the Spaniards

The schools for boys and girls were separated. The first established schools were exclusive for
the boys. The Augustinians built the first school in the Philippines situated in Cebu in 1565.

College was equivalent to a university during the Spanish regime. The student graduated with the
degree in Bachelor of Arts (Bachiller en Artes). The first college school for the boys was the
"Colegio de San Ignacio" which was established by the Jesuits in Manila in 1589. They also
established the "Colegio de San Idelfonso" in Cebu in 1595. In 1601, "Colegio de San Jose" was
established. Meanwhile, in 1589, the "Escuela Pia" was entrusted by the government to the
Jesuits. Later, this was called Ateneo de Municipal which is now the famous Ateneo de Manila
University.

The Dominicans also made a name as they established one of the best universities in the
Philippines, the University of Santo Tomas, that was opened in 1611. In 1630, the Dominicans
established another university, the "San Juan de Letran" for the orphaned boys.

"Colegio de Santa Potenciana" was the first school and college for girls. This was opened in 1589.
Following the birth of the first school for women, Colegio de Santa Isabel opened in 1632. The
religious congregations also established schools for the girls called "beaterio". The so-called
"beaterio" was meant for orphaned girls who could not afford to educate themselves. The
 subjects taught were housekeeping, cooking, sewing and embroidery-making, and others intended
for good housekeeping.

Effects of Colonial Education in the Philippines

The effect of education to the Filipinos was only compelled to the friars' influences from their
lessons based on the Christian Doctrines or teachings. Indeed, the friars were effective in
evangelizing the Catholic religion to the Filipinos.

One major failure of the educational system of the religious congregations was the withholding
of the Filipinos to learn other bodies of knowledge. Besides limiting education to the teaching of
Spanish, Latin, and the Filipino languages, the teaching of Religion was also given emphasis. Thus,
the teaching of Mathematics and Science were neglected.

In entirety, education during the Spanish regime was privileged only to Spanish students. The
supposed Philippine education was only a means to remain in the Philippines as colonizers. For this
reason, the Filipinos became followers to the Spaniards in their own country. Even auspicious
Filipinos became cronies, to the extent that even their life styles were patterned from the
Spaniards.

Meanwhile, several educated Filipinos referred to as ilustrados began movements directed

towards change in the system of government in the Philippines. Despite their wealth and
education, the ilustrados were still considered by the Spaniards to be inferior. One of the goals
of the ilustrado was to be in the same level with the proud Spaniards. The growing number of
ilustrados in the Philippines maybe considered one of the major effects of education by the
Spaniards in the Philippines.

Education in Spanish Era

1. 2. <ul><li>Formal educational system. </li></ul><ul><li>Primary level to the tertiary level of
education. </li></ul><ul><li>The schools focused on the Christian Doctrines. </li></ul>
2. 3. <ul><li>There was a separate school for boys and girls. </li></ul><ul><li>The wealthy
Filipinos or the Ilustrados were accommodated in the schools. </li></ul><ul><li>Colonial
education brought more non-beneficial effects to the Filipinos. </li></ul>
3. 4. <ul><li>The first educational system for students in the country was established.
</li></ul><ul><li>Provide school institutions for boys and girls in every town.
</li></ul><ul><li>Spanish schools started accepting Filipino students. </li></ul>
4. 5. <ul><li>4. The Normal School was also established . </li></ul><ul><li>5. The friars
controlled the educational system during the Spanish times </li></ul><ul><li>6. The
missionaries took charge in teaching, controlling and maintaining the rules and regulations
imposed to the students. </li></ul>
5. 6. <ul><li>7.The schools before were exclusive for the Spaniards. The Filipinos were only
able to enter the schoo1 in the late 19th century. </li></ul>
6. 7. <ul><li>The first established schools were exclusive for the boys. </li></ul><ul><li>The
Augustinians built the first school in the Philippines situated in Cebu in 1565.
</li></ul><ul><li>College was equivalent to a university during the Spanish regime. </li></ul>
7. 8. <ul><li>The first college school for the boys was the &quot;Colegio de San Ignacio&quot;
which was established by the Jesuits in Manila in 1589. </li></ul><ul><li>They also
established the &quot;Colegio de San Idelfonso&quot; in Cebu in 1595. </li></ul><ul><li>In
 1601, &quot;Colegio de San Jose&quot; was established. </li></ul><ul><li>In 1589, the
&quot;Escuela Pia&quot; was entrusted by the government to the Jesuits. </li></ul>
8. 10. <ul><li>The University of Santo Tomas opened in 1611 by the Dominicans.
</li></ul><ul><li>The San Juan de Letran for the orphaned boys, in 1630. </li></ul>
9. 11. <ul><li>&quot;Colegio de Santa Potenciana&quot; was the first school and college for
girls. This was opened in 1589. </li></ul><ul><li>Colegio de Santa Isabel opened in 1632.
</li></ul><ul><li>The religious congregations also established schools for the girls called
&quot;beaterio&quot;. </li></ul>
10. 12. <ul><li>The friars were effective in evangelizing the Catholic religion to the Filipinos.
</li></ul><ul><li>One major failure of the educational system of the religious congregations
was the withholding of the Filipinos to learn other bodies of knowledge. </li></ul>
11. 13. <ul><li>Education during the Spanish regime was privileged only to Spanish students.
</li></ul><ul><li>Several educated Filipinos referred to as ilustrados began movements
directed towards change in the system of government in the Philippines. </li></ul>
Education in the Philippines has undergone several stages of development
from the pre-Spanish times to the present. In meeting the needs of the
society, education serves as focus of emphases/priorities of the leadership at
certain periods/epochs in our national struggle as a race.
As early as in pre-Magellanic times, education was informal, unstructured, and
devoid of methods. Children were provided more vocational training and less
academics (3 Rs) by their parents and in the houses of tribal tutors.

Historical Perspective of the Philippine Educational System

Mag-aso, Daeja Mae B.
Mangmang, Meryjean C.
Inoc, Kristelyn A.

EDUCATION
A highly centralized public school system was installed in 1901 by the Philippine Commission by virtue of
Act No. 74. The implementation of this Act created a heavy shortage of teachers so the Philippine
Commission authorized the Secretary of Public Instruction to bring to the Philippines 600 teachers from
the U.S.A. They were the Thomasites.

PRE-SPANISH
Education from Ancient Early Filipinos
The education of pre-Spanish time in the Philippines was informal and
unstructured. The fathers taught their sons how to look for food and other
means of livelihood. The mothers taught their girls to do the household
chores. This education basically prepared their children to became good
husband and wives.Early Filipino ancestors valued education very much.
Filipino men and women knows how to read and write using their own native
alphabet called alibata. The alibata was composed of 17 symbols
representing the letters of the alphabet. Among these seventeen symbols
were three vowels and fourteen consonants.
The defeat of Spain by American forces paved the way for Aguinaldo's
Republic under a Revolutionary Government. The schools maintained by
Spain for more than three centuries were closed for the time being but were
reopened on August 29, 1898 by the Secretary of Interior. The Burgos
Institute in Malolos, the Military Academy of Malolos, and the Literary
University of the Philippines were established. A system of free and
compulsory elementary education was established by the Malolos
Constitution.
An adequate secularized and free public school system during the first decade
of American rule was established upon the recommendation of the Schurman
Commission. Free primary instruction that trained the people for the duties of
citizenship and avocation was enforced by the Taft Commission per
instructions of President McKinley. Chaplains and non-commissioned officers
were assigned to teach using English as the medium of instruction.
The pre-Spanish system of education underwent major changes during the
Spanish colonization. The tribal tutors were replaced by the Spanish
Missionaries. Education was religion-oriented. It was for the elite, especially in
the early years of Spanish colonization. Access to education by the Filipinos
was later liberalized through the enactment of the Educational Decree of 1863
which provided for the establishment of at least one primary school for boys
and girls in each town under the responsibility of the municipal government;
and the establishment of a normal school for male teachers under the
supervision of the Jesuits. Primary instruction was free and the teaching of
Spanish was compulsory. Education during that period was inadequate,
suppressed and controlled.