Rizal Education in the Philippines

Early Education

Calamba, Laguna

• At age 3, Teodora Alonso Realonda, his mother, was his first teacher. She taught him alphabet, prayers, and reading.

• Donya Teodora discovered that Rizal had a talent for poetry, and encouraged him to write poems.

• At age 8, Rizal wrote a Tagalog poem “Sa Aking Mga Kabata”. The theme involves promoting love for the native language.

Private Tutors of Rizal

1. Maestro Celestino - First private tutor

2. Maestro Lucas Padua - Second tutor

3. Leon Monroy - Taught Spanish and Latin

Early Education

Biñan, Laguna

• Rizal went to Biñan on June 1869. He was accompanied by Paciano Rizal, his brother, and taught by Maestro Justiniano Aquino Cruz.

• In academic studies, Rizal beat all Biñan boys. He surpassed them in Spanish, Latin, and other subjects.

• However, he experienced punishment blows from his teacher because of fighting.

Secondary Education

Ateneo Municipal De Manila (1872-1877)

• His father wants to send Rizal to Colegio de San Juan de Letran, where he took an entrance examination. However, his mother insisted on sending him to Ateneo Municipal de Manila instead.

• In 1872, at the age of 11, Rizal sought admission to the Ateneo Municipal de Manila, a Jesuit-administered institution located in Intramuros, Manila. Initially, his admission was declined due to his frail physical appearance and delayed enrollment. However, through the intervention of Manuel Xerez Burgos and after successfully passing the entrance examination, he was accepted as a boarder in the institution.

• First year: he attained “Emperor” rank (highest in class) and received a prize: a religious picture.

• To improve his Spanish, Rizal took private lessons in Santa Isabel College during noon recesses.

• 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.

• Consistently ranked among the top students

• In March 1877, at the age of 16, he graduated with a degree of Bachelor of Arts, earning the highest honors in his class or sobrasaliente

• Academic Excellence: Achieved outstanding grades in all subjects and received a gold medal during his second year at Ateneo (1873–1874).

• Literary Influence: Deeply inspired by The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas, his first favorite novel.

• Historical Studies: Persuaded his father to buy Universal History by César Cantú, which greatly supported his historical learning.

• Intellectual Impact: Influenced by Dr. Feodor Jagor’s Travels in the Philippines for its:

• Keen observations on the defects of Spanish colonization.

• Prediction that Spain would lose the Philippines, with America likely to become its next colonizer.

Secondary Education

Curriculum and Extracurricular Achievements

• Rizal’s Ateneo curriculum was broad, covering languages (Latin, Spanish, Greek), humanities, sciences, Christian doctrine, and the arts, including drawing, painting, and sculpture.

• Outside formal academics, Rizal was an active member of the Academy of Spanish Literature and the Academy of Natural Sciences. His literary prowess was recognized in his award-winning poems, such as ‘El Embarque: Himno a la Flota de Magallanes’ and ‘El Consejo de los Dioses.’

Higher Education

Sto. Tomas University of the Philippines (1877-1882)

• Rizal entered UST in the philosophy and letters course

• Studied: cosmology, metaphysics, theodicy, history of philosophy; honorable mention by royal economic society “amigos del país” for a prize poem

Higher Education

Sto. Tomas University of the Philippines (1878)

• Rizal shifted to medicine

• Motivated by his mother’s failing eyesight; began focus on ophthalmology

• This choice was historic because rizal later became a renowned ophthalmologist who treated blindness — including that of his mother and many patients

Higher Education

Ateneo Municipal (November 25, 1881)

• Vocational surveying course

• Rizal acquired the title of “Perito agrimensor” (expert surveyor)