Policies of the Department of Education in the Puerto Rico

  • Teaching English

    Dr. John Eaton former commoisioner of education in USA and his co-worker Victor Clark stated the teachers in the Island needed to learn English.
  • Creation of the DPI

    Creation of the Department of Public Instruction with a designated commisioner.
  • Retain Spanish and acquire English

    The education policy in Puerto Rico was to retain Spanish and acquire English, Elementary grades all subject would be in Spanish with English as a special subject; High school subject would de in English with Spanish as a special subject.
  • Increasing the use of English

    Increaesed the use of English in schools with the idea of making it the official language of some schools.
  • Spanish was Subprime

    Spanish is eliminated and English is used as the language of instruction at all levels of the school system.
  • Spanish returned?

    The use of Spanish in first grade is introduced for some courses like Hygiene and Health.
  • New Project

    Presented a law project to make Spanish a compulsory language in schools again.
  • World War 1

    First World War breaks out and Puerto Ricans were granted with United States citizenship.
  • New Establishment

    Spanish would be the language of instruction in grades from first through fourth and that English would be used only in half of the subjects in the fifth grade.
  • John B. Huyke

    John B. Huyke Commissioner of Education stated that everyone should use every opportunity to learn English ,nside and outside of class.
  • Jose M. Gallardo

    Franklin Delano Roosevelt, president of the United States complainied that Puerto Rico had not learned English after all these years so Gallardo tried to implement a Bilingual program but he was not allow.
  • Spanish return

    Spanish returned to prevail through sixth grade and English as continued subject.
  • Dr. Mariano Villaronga

    Ended the debate on bilingualism and decided to teach English in all grades.
  • Requesting Funds

    Both the Department of Education and the Universities requested funds to meet the needs of students returning from the United States.
  • Bilingual Project

    1972-1976 under the PPD goverment Bilingual schools were created. First schools to participate Padre Rufo and Papa Juan XXIII.
  • Lau versus Nichols

    Bingual education expands to the United States of America.
  • The Program

    The bilingual education program passed to the English department.
  • Autonomous

    Bilingual education becomes autonomous.
  • Bilingual School in Cidra

    Governor Pedro Rosello implements ,one of the eleven bilingual schools starting from k-5th. Today it attends students from K-12th including advanced classes.
  • Present

    Governor Luis Fortuño implements Bilingual program to various schools.