Policies of the Department of Education regarding the teaching of English the past 114 years

By mvierabos13
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    Puerto Rican teachers should learn English

    Dr. John Eaton Ex commisioner of Education of the U.S., and his helper,Dr. Victor Clark establish that the teachers from P.R. have to learn English and the ones to be prepared would be prefered in the moment of hiring them.
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    Creation of the Department of Public Instruction

    By 1900 the DepartmIent of Instruction is created. During this years the policy of education was that Spab=nish would be preserved and English would be acquired. On high school all subjects were in English and Spanish was teached as an special subject.
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    More use of English on schools

    The English is more used on schools with the idea of turning it in the official language of all the schools in P.R..
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    Elimination of Spanish

    English is used as a way of teaching on all grades of the Schoolar System.

  • Introduction of Spanish on first grade

    The use of Spanish is introduced on first grade for some subjects,like higyene and health,and reading was recommended to be made in Spanish.

  • Spanish as a compulsory way of teaching

    A law project is presented in order to make Spanish compulsory as a teaching way.
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    1916-1934

    During this period it was establised that Spanish would be the way of teaching on grades first to fourth and English be used on half of the subjects of fifth grade and Spanish on the other half. This same policy was used on grade 6-8 and also on secundary school.
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    More emphasis on the use of English

    Mr. Juan B. Huyke came to be the new Commisioner of Instruction. On this momemt, more emphasis is put on the use of English: every opportunity to learn English should be used. The publishing of shoolar materials on Spanish was totally prohibited,

  • Spanish is impossed as a way of instruction

    The Commisioner on turn was Dr. Jose Padin. He fought to impose Spanish as a way of instruction. English was not abandoned; it was given an emphasis as a second language with many special programs for its enrichment. As a result of this ,Spanish is adopted as an instrumental language in the teaching of geography, history and mathematics. And English pass to be a special subject from first grade.The Commisioner Padin recommended bilingual education but with a constant evaluation.
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  • 1936

    Dr. Padin is no longer the Commisioner of Education and Jose M. Gallardo is the new one.The President of the U.S. wished that all the instruction was given in Enlish so the next generation would speak in English.Gallardo tried to implant a bilingual program but all the public protests didn't allow him

  • 1942

    In this year Spanish was used again until sixth grade and continuous English as a subject.

  • vernacule as a vehicle of teaching

    The vernacule was used as a vehicle of teaching until ninth grade.

  • Teaching vernacle at all levels

    The Commisioner of Instruction, Dr. Mariano Villaronga ended the bilingualism debate and order the teaching of the vernacule at all levels in public school from the scholar year of 1949-50.

  • Bilingual Education

    Since that decade, The Deoartment of Education ,as well as the Universities, had asked for funds to deal with the necessities of the students that return from the U.S.. This program is called Bilingual Education. This program can include the teaching of Spanish and conserve the English.
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    Padre Rufo and Papa JuanXXlll schools Bilingual projects

    From 1972 to1976 under the goverment of Popular Democratic Party, are implanted in P.R. the bilingual projects in the Padre Rufo and Papa Juan XXlll schools.The projects Ënsenanza Pre -escolar,the program of Cultural Bilingual Transition and the project of Bilingual Education are added.Also it was prepared an island wide plan called "Plan Estatal" to deal with the necessities of students from return. By this time, the law of Certification of Bilingual Education was signed.

  • Spanish for the progress of students that return to the system

    Since 1978, the Congress of the U.S. authorize for the projects of bilingulal Education in P.R. to have an emphasis toward the learning of Spanish for the better achievement of students from the return in the system of Education of P.R..

  • Bilingual program is no longer a program

    Under the government of Hon. Carlos Romero Barcelo (PNP) the Bilingual Education Program is no longer a program" and it transfers its projects" to the Department of English.
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    Help for students of the return

    Under the government of Hon.Rafael Hernandez Colon, funds are userdand asked to help the students of the return. By this time four projects are approved for the Department of Education in P.R. , two for the Metropolitan University, one for the "Sagrado Corazon"in English as a second Language and two in the University of Turabo.The situation has been more or less constant until now.

  • Autonomy of Bilingual Education Programs

    The Bilingual Education Programs are autonomous and the Secretary of Education,Hon. Jose Artenio Torres named a Director in property to direct the Bilingual Education Program.