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Beginning of bilingual education history
Everything started with the colonization of Puerto Rico by the Americans. John Eaton and Victor Clark established that teachers should learn English -
The Department of Public Instruction was created.
The Public Instruction Department of Puerto Rico is created with an assigned commissioner. -
The Official Language Act granted official status for both languages.
The educational policy was to conserve Spanish and acquire English, but further on, government emphasize more in North American culture. -
English as a medium of instruction
Theodore Roosevelt, Commissioner of Education re-established English as a medium of instruction -
Teachers English Summer Camp
Five hundred and forty Puerto Rican teachers were sent to the universities of Cornell and Harvard to study English during the summer. -
English language
By the imposition of the English language, the people revealed themselves and created the Separatist Movement. -
No more Spanish
Spanish use is suppressed and English is used as the main language of instruction in all the school grades. -
High enrollment of students due to more English teachers
English teachers flourished making it possible to establish the English language as the official language for education with a high enrollment of students.(35,000) -
Spanish only for first grade
Spanish is used in first grade for some subjects. -
Back to the roots
A law was introduced to make the Spanish language, the compulsory language for instruction in Puerto Rico. -
Half in Spanish; Half in English
Spanish was reinstated as the medium of instruction for the first four grades. -
American citizenship for Puerto Ricans
The political controversy continues; World War 1 starts and the American citizenship is given to the Puerto Ricans. It is asked to teach the children about patriotism. -
English language at all times, even outside the classroom.
Juan B. Huyke became the Instruction's commissioner. English is encouraged to be used at all times . The teachers and students were asked to use English even outside of the classroom. The books were published in English. The printing of Spanish materials was prohibited. -
English as a foreign language
Jose Padin established English as a foreign language in a pedagogical perspective. He encouraged to use Spanish as the main way of instruction. English was emphasized as a second language with many programs -
No English after 38 years of occupation
President Roosevelt complained that Puerto Ricans had not learned English after 38 years of American occupation. He wanted all the education to be given in English so that the next generation could know English. -
Spanish up to six grade; English as a separate subject
Spanish prevailed as the main of instruction up to the sixth grade and English continued as a separate subject. -
Spanish now until ninth grade
The vernacular Spanish was to be used as the mean of instruction up to the ninth grade. -
Spanish language prevails
Dr. Mariano Villaronga put an end to the bilingual debate by stating that Spanish was to be used in all school levels starting in the 1949-50 school year. This prevails today. -
Federal money for Education
The Public Instruction Department and the Universities asked for funds to attend the students needs, -
The Catholic Church and Bilingual projects in Puerto Rico
Padre Rufo and Papa Juan XXIII established Bilingual Projects in Puerto Rico. -
Bilingual projects transfer to the English Department
The Bilingual Education Program, already established, stops being a program' and their projects were transferred to the English Department. -
Law # 4 - Spanish only
Under the government of Rafael Hernández Colón, the “Spanish Only" was approved as, Law Number 4, April 5, 1991. -
Law # 1 English and Spanish as official language
Under the government of Pedro Roselló ,( Law Number 1 January 28, 1993 ) proclaiming both, English and Spanish as the official languages in the island. -
NCLB Act
United States government approved the "No Child Left Behind Act" which focuses on the English Language Learners previously known as Bilingual minorities -
Bilingual schools survived
The Bilingual Citizen Project established various bilingual schools in the Island. Among the ones that survived is the Antonio González Suárez in Añasco. -
New Bilingual projects
There are new bilingual initiatives in Puerto Rico under the BEC-21 and ES-21 projects. -
Have the policies been consistent or inconsistent? Explain
I believe that the policies have been inconsistent because they are constantly changing throughout history. Every time someone new comes in charge, some changes among the policies come along.
Sometimes if that new person does not agree or have different believes about language or education, there are some setbacks because of it.
