Jose Rizal's Education

Jose Rizal's Education
 
THE FAMILIAR STATEMENT that Doña Teodora was Rizal’s first teacher is not just a sort of ‘venerating’ his mother who sacrificed a lot for our hero. It was a technical truth.
 
In his memoirs, Rizal wrote, “My mother taught me how to read and to say haltingly the humble prayers which I raised fervently to God.” (Read: Rizal Early Education (and Jose Rizal Educational Background))
 
Education in Calamba
In Rizal’s time, seldom would one see a highly educated woman of fine culture like Doña Teodora who had the capacity to teach Spanish, reading, poetry, and values through rare story books. Under her supervision, Rizal had thus learned the alphabet and the prayers at the age of three. (Read: The Life and Legacy of Jose Rizal: A Hero of the Philippines)
 
Aside from his mother, his sister Saturnina and three maternal uncles also mentored him. His uncle Jose Alberto taught him painting, sketching, and sculpture. Uncle Gregorio influenced him to further love reading. Uncle Manuel, for his part, developed Rizal’s physical skills in martial arts like wrestling.
 
To further enhance what Rizal had learned, private tutors were hired to give him lessons at home. Thus, Maestro Celestino tutored him and Maestro Lucas Padua later succeeded Celestino. Afterward, a former classmate of Don Francisco, Leon Monroy, lived at the Rizal home to become the boy’s tutor in Spanish and Latin. Sadly, Monroy died five months later. (Of course, there is no truth to some students’ comically malicious insinuation that Rizal had something to do with his death.)
 
Education in Biñan 
Rizal was subsequently sent to a private school in Biñan. In June 1869, his brother Paciano brought him to the school of Maestro Justiniano Aquino Cruz. The school was in the teacher’s house, a small nipa house near the home of Jose’s aunt where he stayed. In Rizal’s own words, his teacher “knew by the heart the grammars by Nebrija and Gainza.”
 
During Rizal’s first day in Biñan school, the teacher asked him:
“Do you know Spanish?”
”A little, sir,” replied Rizal.
”Do you know Latin?”
”A little, sir.”
 
Because of this, his classmates, especially the teacher’s son Pedro, laughed at the newcomer. So later in that day, Jose challenged the bully Pedro to a fight. Having learned wrestling from his Uncle Manuel, the younger and smaller Jose had defeated his tormenter. Compared to bullying victims today, we can say that Rizal did not wait for anyone to enact a law against bullying, but rather took matters into his own hands.
 
 
After the class however, he had an arm-wrestling match with his classmate Andres Salandanan in which Jose lost and even almost cracked his head on the sidewalk. That only proves that merely being a ‘desperado’ won’t make you win all your fights.
 
In the following days, Jose was said to have had other fights with Biñan boys. (If his average was two fights per day, as what happened during his first day in Biñan school, then he might have been more active than today’s MMA [mixed martial arts] fighters). For his scuffles, he nonetheless received many whippings and blows on the open palm from his disciplinarian teacher.
 
Rizal may have not won all his brawls but he nevertheless beat all Biñan boys academically in Spanish, Latin, and other subjects. 
 
Education in Manila
There’s a claim that from Biñan school, Rizal studied in Colegio de San Juan de Letran. The story states that after attending his classes for almost three months in Letran, Jose was asked by the Dominican friars to look for another school due to his radical and bold questions.
 
However, standard biographies agree that Rizal just took the entrance examination in that institution but Don Francisco sent him to enroll instead in Ateneo Municipal in June 1872. Run by the Jesuit congregation (Society of Jesus), Ateneo upheld religious instruction, advanced education, rigid discipline, physical culture, and cultivation of the arts, like music, drawing, and painting. Ironically, this school which is now the archrival of La Salle in being exclusively luxurious, among others, was formerly the ‘Escuela Pia’ (Charity School)—a school for poor boys in Manila established by the city government in 1817.
 
Paciano found Jose a boarding house in Intramuros but he later transferred to the house of a spinster situated on Calle Carballo in Santa Cruz area. There he became acquainted with various mestizos that were said to be begotten by friars. (Jose perhaps had not thought twice to befriend them, believing that they were probably nice people—for after all, they were ‘mga anak ng pari’ [children of priests]).
 
To encourage healthy competitions, classes in Ateneo were divided into two groups which constantly competed against each other. One group, named the Roman Empire, comprised the interns (boarders) while the other one, the Carthaginian Empire, consisted of the externs (non-boarders).
 
Within an empire, members were also in continuous competition as they vied for the top ranks called dignitaries— Emperor, being the highest position, followed by Tribune, Decurion, Centurion, and Standard-Bearer, respectively. Initially placed at the tail of the class as a newcomer, Jose was soon continually promoted—that just after a month, he had become an Emperor, receiving a religious picture as a prize.
 
When the term ended, he attained the mark of ‘excellent’ in all the subjects and in the examinations. The second year, Jose transferred residence to No. 6 Calle Magallanes and he obtained a medal at the end of that academic term. In the third year, he won prizes in the quarterly examinations.
 
The following year, his parents placed him as intern (boarding student) in the school and stayed there until his graduation. At the end of the school year, he garnered five medals, with which he said he could somewhat repay his father for his sacrifices. On March 23, 1877, he received the Bachelor of Arts degree, graduating as one of the nine students in his class declared ‘sobresaliente’ or outstanding.
 
Some of his priest-professors in Ateneo were Jose Bech, a man with mood swings and somewhat of a lunatic and of an uneven humor; Francisco de Paula Sanchez, an upright, earnest, and caring teacher whom Rizal considered his best professor; Jose Vilaclara; and a certain Mineves.
 
At the Ateneo, Rizal cultivated his talent in poetry, applied himself regularly to gymnastics, and devoted time to painting and sculpture. Don Augustin Saez, another professor, thoughtfully guided him in drawing and painting, and the Filipino Romualdo de Jesus lovingly instructed him in sculpture.
 
In 1877, Rizal enrolled in the University of Santo Tomas, taking the course on Philosophy in Letters. At the same time, he took in Ateneo a land surveyor and assessor's degree (expert surveyor), a vocational course. He finished his surveyor's training in 1877, passed the licensing exam in May 1878, though the license was granted to him only in 1881 when he reached the age of majority.
 
After a year in UST, Jose changed course and enrolled in medicine to be able to cure the deteriorating eyesight of his mother. But being tired of the discrimination by the Dominican professors to Filipino students, he stopped attending classes at UST in 1882.
 
It’s worthwhile to note that Rizal’s another reason for not completing medicine in UST was that the method of instruction was obsolete and repressive. Rizal’s observation perhaps had served as a challenge for UST to improve in its mode of instructions.
 
If records were accurate, Rizal had taken a total of 19 subjects in UST and finished them with varied grades, ranging from excellent to fair. Notably, he got ‘excellent’ in all his subjects in the Philosophy course.
 
Education in Europe
On May 3, 1882, he left for Spain and enrolled in Medicine and Philosophy and Letters at the Universidad Central de Madrid on November 3. In some days of November 1884, Rizal was involved in the chaotic student demonstrations by the Central University students in which many were wounded, hit by cane, arrested, and imprisoned.
 
The protest rallies started after Dr. Miguel Morayta had been excommunicated by bishops for delivering a liberal speech, proclaiming the freedom of science and the teacher, at the opening ceremony of the academic year. Incidentally, the street in Manila named after Morayta (Nicanor Reyes Street today) has always been affected by, if not itself the venue of, student demonstrations.

In June of 1884, Rizal received the degree of Licentiate in Medicine at the age of 23. His rating though was just ‘fair’ for it was affected by the ‘low’ grades he got from UST.
 
The next school year (1884-1885), he took and completed the three additional subjects leading to the Doctor of Medicine degree.  He was not awarded the Doctor’s diploma though for failing to pay the fee and the required thesis.
 
Exactly on his 24th birthday, the Madrid university awarded him the degree of Licentiate in Philosophy and Letters with the grade of excellent (‘sobresaliente’). We can thus argue that Rizal was better as a ‘philosopher’ than a physician.
 
Wanting to cure his mother's advancing blindness, Rizal went to Paris. He was said to have attended medical lectures at the University of Paris. From November 1885 to February 1886, he worked as an assistant to Dr. Louis de Weckert. Through this leading French ophthalmologist, Rizal was thankful that he learned how to perform all the ophthalmological operations.
 
In February 3, 1886, Rizal arrived in Heidelberg, Germany. He attended the lectures of Dr. Otto Becker and Prof. Wilhelm Kuehne at the University of Heidelberg. He also worked at the University Eye Hospital under the guidance of Dr. Becker.
 
Under the direction of this renowned German ophthalmologist, Rizal had learned to use the then newly invented ophthalmoscope (invented by Hermann von Helmholtz) which he later used to operate on his mother’s eye. In Heidelberg, the 25-year-old Rizal completed his eye specialization.
 
Afterward, Rizal spent three months in the nearby village, Wilhemsfeld where he wrote the last few chapters of ‘Noli Me Tangere’. He stayed at the pastoral house of a kind Protestant pastor, Dr. Karl Ullmer, the whole family of whom became Rizal’s good friends. In August 1886, he attended lectures on history and psychology at the University of Leipzig. In November 1886, he reached Berlin, the famous city where he worked as an assistant in Dr. Schweigger’s clinic and attended lectures in the University of Berlin. 
 
In Berlin, he was inducted as a member of the Berlin’s ‘Ethnological Society’, ‘Anthropological Society’, and ‘Geographical Society’. In April 1887, he was invited to deliver an address in German before the ‘Ethnographic Society’ of Berlin on the orthography and structure of the Tagalog language. 
 
In Germany, Rizal met and befriended the famous academicians and scholars at the time. Among them were Prof. Friedrich Ratzel, German historian; Dr. Hanz Meyer, German Anthropologist; Dr. Feodor Jagor, the author of ‘Travels in the Philippines’ which Rizal had read as a student in Manila; Dr. Rudolf Virchow, German anthropologist; and Rudolf’s son, Dr. Hans Virchow, Descriptive Anatomy professor.
 
Especially after the hero’s martyrdom, these people who were the renowned personalities in the academe not only in Germany but also in Europe were so proud that once in their life they had known the educated and great Filipino named Jose Rizal.
 
 
Jensen DG. Mañebog, the contributor, is a book author and professorial lecturer in the graduate school of a state university in Metro Manila. His unique e-books on Rizal (available online)  comprehensively tackle, among others, the respective life of Rizal’s siblings and girlfriends. (e-mail: jensenismo@gmail.com)
 
 
INTERACTIVE ONLINE ACTIVITY
In the comment section here, write your short comment on Rizal’s advice to his sister Trinidad: “Now that you are still young and you have time to learn, it is necessary that you study by reading and reading attentively… It is enough to form only the habit of study and later everything goes by itself.”
 
Invite at least three college graduate friends or relatives to leave in the comment section an advice about finishing a course. Print your comment and your friends/relatives’ advices. Submit the print out to your professor.
 
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Comments

Education is our key to success. If u are educated, more and big opportunities will open to us. Our national hero was right, while its early and we have time, we should focus on our studies well. WE shouldn't waste out time rather we gave this to worthy things like reading and studying. because if we gave more time and effort to our studies, at the end, we will harvest our success.

ang maadvice ko sayo tin ay maging masipag ka pag aaral mo. kailangan mataas ang grades na makuha mo. umaasa sayo ang mama at papa mo e. at pag ngkatrabaho kna, tulunagn mo ang mga kapatid mo. ikaw mag paaral sakanila ok? un lng. we love you.

The advice of Rizal to Trinidad is right, because education is very important to us. It is our investment in our future life. Spent your time in studying so that you have a better life in future.

He is telling to her sister that love for studying starts with a pinch of trying and make it as a habit. Trining disobeyed her big brother, she left her college despite her brother's will. But in spite of all this, Trining became the custodian of the "Mi Ultimo Adios". Jose gave it to her with such reason. If we blend her status in our generation today,she'll be a good-for-nothing woman, because she knows nothing. Trining don't want to study, it's not her thing, her brother also said that through a letter. In the 21st century, if you have a chance to go to school, grab that opportunity, because if you don't, and you just let your laziness through yourself, you'll be such a pity.

kahit anong pagsubok ang dumating sa iyong pag aaral, wag kang bumigay. humingi ka ng tulong sa may kapal dahil di ka niya pababayaan. dahil ang diyos ay laging sumusubaybay sa taong may pangarap sa buhay. basta para lng sa kabutihan. at kung may problema ka lagi mong tandaan, nandito lang ako sa bahay.

If I would Rizal, the same thing I will advice to you Ana Marie because you're still young and you have a lot of time to enjoy your life, and studying hard is one of greatest thing to do.

Para matapos mo yung course mo kailangan mong maging masipag. hindi naman sa lahat ng oras pero kung kinakailangan gawin mo hangga't kaya. maging matiyaga. lalo na sa sandamakmak na mga assignments, projects or kahit ano pang mga gawain. matutong maging disiplina sa LAHAT ng oras. Bilang estudyante, alam mo naman ang limitation. Disiplinahin mo yung sarili mo hindi para sa iba kundi para sa sarili mo. dahil kung hindi ka magiging disiplina sa lahat ng oras, sigurado lagi kang maghahabol, magmamadali o kaya magkakamali sa mga gagawin mo. Hindi mo kailangan maging seryoso sa lahat ng oras. pwede ka namang maglibang kahit minsan. pag walang ginagawa o walang kailangan gawin. kasi kung isasabay mo yung paglilibang mo sa mga MAS dapat mong gawin, ikaw din mahihirapan sa huli. Pahalagahan mo lahat ng bagay na natututunan mo. dahil hindi lahat ng bata ay nabibiyayaan tulad mo para makapag-aral.

"Education is the root of all success." That's the thing I believe when it comes to my study and education in life. Dr. Jose Rizal is right, rather to waste our time in a none sense manner, we must use our time spending in a way that we will benefit from it, like reading, writing and others, that will be useful in our future life especially in our studies. If we use our time wisely, in the end, we will reap all the fruit of our success. That's why we need to study hard and focus on our goals in life, so that in the future, we will be successful.

Just do your best in your studies. Because in not doing your best you will regret that for sure. Just put this in mind, that our studies is just one of the phase in our lives that can help us to grow and to become a better person. We may find it boring sometimes but it is all that we got that something cannot be stolen by someone. And if you have passion for learning, surely you will excel in your studies. There are also challenges in our studies but it should not be the reason that you have to give up. Instead use them as your one of your strength during studies. and the last but not the least, don't forget that there is someone up there that no matter what you will be facing during your studies. Just thank Him for everything.

Kung gusto mo ung course na kinuha mo,gagawa ka ng paraan para matapos yan..unahin mo ang dapat unahin.isakripisyo ang mga panandaliang kaligayahan.isipin mo ang kinabukasan mo at ng pamilya mo..

Jose Rizal was right,we must give attention in our studies,while we were young.We have all the time to spend in our studies so, we must take it seriously.Continue learning because it is for our own good,for us to have a better future like Rizal he just want her sister to have a better future.It also shows how Rizal gave importance in education.

In finishing a course, as a student you must be persistent and courageous person when it comes in pursuing your dreams and goals in life. You must study hard and give all your best because when time comes and when you finished your course, you will be harvesting your success.

In finishing a course, as a student you must be persistent and courageous person when it comes in pursuing your dreams and goals in life. You must study hard and give all your best because when time comes and when you finished your course, you will be harvesting your success.

Make your dream a vision.focus in your studies and spend more time for it.Of course ask for God's guidance to help your goals come true

When you are about to finish a course, one thing that you should remember as student is hardwork because if there is no hardwork in all of your undertakings in life you will not be successful in life. That's why you must give all your best and enough time in studying and learning, so that in the end, you will be happy because of your success.

The best advice that I can give is to set your goal so that you can achieve what you want in life. This will help you to finish your studies..

ahmm . magbasa ka lng araw araw para may matutunan kang bago sa panahon ngayon. magtiwala sa sarili at wag kalimutan tumawag kay God . God Bless !

Education is essential to us. We consider education as a very precious tool in life. Education is the only treasure that we can keep and nobody can take it away from us. So we shouldn't waste our time, we are given such opportunity to study.

keep up the good work . always work hard no matter what . and pray to God always :)

In Rizal's saying we could see that he valued most the education and with this statement he awakens us to not waste our time doing unnecessary things .And set our mind to finish our study.And he encourage us to study harder.:)

It is truly important to finish your studies because it will serve as your gateway to your future career. Just study hard and give all your best.

Education is the best foundation.Study hard and set your goals..keep on praying to God.He will help you in achieving your goals in life.

To finish your course, you should set a goal. If you do, your focus is your studies, there maybe some difficulties along the way, problems to solve, campus crushes which are part of a student life. But because your goal is to finish your studies, problems in school life are easily hurdled. And beside your the eldest in your family, use this as an inspiration to help you achieve your goal. One thing more, crushes on campus is okey but boyfriends can wait. Always pray for guidance.

In finishing a course, you must study hard and do everything in order to finish it. You must also be hardworking and smart enough to pursue it, in order for you to be successful in the end when you are about to graduate.

In finishing a course, you must study hard and do everything in order to finish it. You must also be hardworking and smart enough to pursue it, in order for you to be successful in the end when you are about to graduate.

Rizal was truly concern on the studies of his sister Trinidad. He valued education so much. He also show how important reading is. Education is essential to each of us. We consider education as a very precious tool in life. It is the only treasure that we can keep and no one can take it away from us.

Gat Jose Rizal really values education that he wants Trinidad to spent her time learning by reading. and it can be an inspiration to each and everyone of us to devote ourselves into reading and studying more.

study hard, think big, and achieve more.

I know how hard to focus on studying but at least try your best. Give everything you have and value your course. You have given the opportunity so don't waste it.

In Rizal's saying we could see that he valued most the education and with this statement he awakens us to not waste our time doing unnecessary things .And set our mind to finish our study.And he encourage us to study harder.:)

In finishing a course, as a student you must be persistent and courageous person when it comes in pursuing your dreams and goals in life. You must study hard and give all your best because when time comes and when you finished your course, you will be harvesting your success.

Study hard. Grab this opportunity to have better education and view it as a gift. Enjoy your youth but remember your goal. And make us proud.

ang pag-aaral ay hindi lamang nagtatapos sa sinasabi na graduation bagkus ito ay simula pa lang ng panibagong harapin sa buhay,kayat sa mga nag aaral o nagsipagtapos na dagdagan o triplehin pa ang sipag upang makamit ang mithiin sa buhay,,mag isip muna bago gawin ang isang bagay...

What Rizal says was true; while we still have a chance to learn grab it. And sabi nga "learning is continues process it wouldn't stop." Education is really important for everyone so we should give time for it.

Dapat lang na magaral kayong mabuti para maging maganda at maayos ang inyong buhay pagdating ng araw. At para sa aming mga magulang na maging panatag sapagkat kayo ay nakapagtapos.

Para sa lahat ng nagaaral pa isang napakamabisang bagay na hindi dapat natin nalilimutan ay ang magdasal.Sabi nga sa proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." Godbless

.Dream big and never give up. Finishing school is just the start, the life after that sucks....but you're gonna love it....

Edukasyon ang susi sa magandang kinabukasan. Hangga't maaga, mag-aral ng mabuti. Ugaliing magbasa ng magbasa (mag-advance reading).

Advice to Kyle Iravie Sulit Enjoyin ang mga bagay na ginagawa. Wag masyadong pansinin ang mga nagpapahirap sa gawain.

Advice to Kyle Iravie Sulit Always set your goals in your mind. Wag basta basta susuko pag nahirapan sa isang subject. Wag kakalimutang humingi ng guidance kay Lord.

para makapag tapos ng kurso na kinukuha mo dapat no lovelife muna dahil sagabal lang yan. si GOD na lng ang mahalin mo, atsaka dapat kahit hindi mo gusto ung course na un kailangan seryosohin mo pa rin. kawawa mga magulang mo. mahirap kaya maghanap ng pera pampa-aral.

Jose Rizal was right. Education is very important especially today. It is a shame that Trinidad left her schooling.

as Gilbert K. Chesterton might say, "Education is simply the soul of a society as it passes from one generation to another." it simply states that education is very important and every generation should learn something new.

Advice to Kyle Iravie Sulit Mag-concentrate sa pag-aaral. Huwag maiinggit sa mga nakapaligid na material na bagay (gadgets). Wag kakalimutang humingi ng guidance kay Lord.

Advice to Kyle Iravie Sulit. Ang pag-aral ng mabuti at handa para sa magandang kinabukasan. Mag-aral ng mabuti. Ugaliing magbasa nang magbasa. Huwag munang unahin ang love life.

Pinapakita dito kung gaano kamahal ni Jose si Trinidad dahil lagi niya itong pinapaalalahanan na mag-aral ng mabuti upang sa ikabubuti ng buhay ni Trinidad sa hinaharap.

Study Hard because no one will benefit from it other than yourself.

Mag-aral ng mabuti. Magfocus lang sa pag-aaral. Tsaka wag kakalimutan magpray kay God. hehe.

Study hard. Have faith in yourself. Don't allow other people to discourage you from pursuing it. Always pray.

Dr. Jose Rizal gives significance on education. Like what he said, "Ang kabataan ang pag-asa ng bayan". Education is essential for everyone. It is the level of education that helps people earn respect and recognition.

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