Policies of the Department of Education regarding the teaching of English in the past 114 years
By kvwildflower
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Between the years 1898-1900 Dr. John Eaton, former Commissioner of Education in the United States and his assistant Victor Clark stated that Puerto Rican teachers needed to learn English and those better prepared would have be preferred to be hired.
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Creation of the Department of Public Instruction in Puerto Rico with a designated commissioner.
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1900-1902 - The education policy in P.R. was to retain the Spanish and acquire English. In elementary grades all subjects would be in Spanish with English as a special subject; in high school subjects would be in English with Spanish as a special subject.
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Between 1902 and 1904 increased the use of English in Puerto Rico schools with the idea of making it the official language of the country's schools.
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Between 1905 and 1913 Spanish is eliminated and English is used as the language of instruction at all levels of the school system in the island.
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In 1913 is introduced the use of Spanish in first grade for some courses like Hygiene and Health.
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In 1915 was presented a law project to make Spanish a compulsory language in Puerto Rico schools.
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In 1917 the First World War breaks out and Puerto Ricans were granted with U.S. citizenship.
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Between 1916 and 1934 it was established that 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.
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In 1921-30 came John B. Huyke as Commissioner of Education. In that moment, greater emphasis was placed to the use of English in education: everyone should use every opportunity to learn English, inside and outside of class.
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1936 - José M. Gallardo was appointed Commissioner of Education. President of the U.S., Franklin Delano Roosevelt, complained that Puerto Ricans had not learned English after 38 years of American occupation and wished that all instruction were in English.
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1930-1950 - Difficult era for P.R. from an economic, social and educational standpoint. It was during this period that Spanish was adopted as the language of instruction in geography, history, and math. English became a special subject from first grade.
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In 1942 Spanish prevail until sixth grade and while English continued as a subject.
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In 1948 the vernacular was used as the medium of instruction until the ninth grade.
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In 1949 the Commissioner of Education Mariano Villaronga ended the lengthy discussion of bilingualism decreeing to use the vernacular in teaching at all levels of the public schools from 1949-50 School year.
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From 1972 to 1976 in Puerto Rico are implanted under the government of the Popular Democratic Party bilingual projects at Padre Rufo and Pope John XXIII schools.
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Since 1978 the U.S. Congress authorize the bilingual education projects in Puerto Rico to focus into teaching Spanish to those students that came back from the States to our educational system.
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1984-The bilingual education program was transferred to the Department of English. The bilingual education certification signed by Governor Romero Barceló in 1984 hasn't been fully implemented and those who apply have much difficulty in getting it.
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Between 1988 and 1992 four projects were approved for the Department of Education in Puerto Rico two for the Metropolitan University, one for Sacred Heart University in English as a Second Language and two at the University of Turabo.
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Spanish-Only legislation approved by the Popular Party in April 5, 1991.
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Spanish-Only legislation was revoked and substituted in 1993 for Law Number 1 (January 28, 1993) a Pro Statehood Party language policy which established both English and Spanish as official languages on the island.
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In 1993, bilingual education projects became autonomous and in September of the same year, the Education Secretary Jose Arsenio Torres appointed a director to lead the bilingual program.
