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It was established by Dr. John Eston that teachers in Puerto Rico should learn English and those who were ready they would have preference to be hired.
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The Department of Public Instruction was created with an assigned Comissioner. Educational policy was to retain the Spanish language and acquire the English language.
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There was an increase in the use of the English language with the idea of making it the official language of the schools in Puerto Rico.
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The Official Language Act granted official status to both Spanish and English.
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The Official language Act was revoked when the Commissioner of Education theodore Roosevelt re-established English as the medium in all grades.
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Spanish Language is suppressed and English is used as the medium of instructions of the School System.
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Spanish was inducted for some subject in first grade and reading was recommended that would be in Spanish.
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A project was presented to make mandatory the Spanish language as a medium of instruction.
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It was established that Spanish was the teaching vehicle from 1st to 4th grade and English was used in half of the subjects in the 5th grade and the other half in Spanish and likewise for grades from 6th to 8th grade.
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Linguistic controversy continued. World War I breaks, Puerto Ricans are granted citizenship.
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This was a very difficult time for Puerto Rico from the point of view of economic, social and educational. The Commissioner Dr. Jose Padin was the first to expose that English is a foreign language from the educational point of view and he gave emphasis to English as a second language with many enrichment programs.
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The language policy again shifted toward asimilation when Blanton S. Winthrop named governer by President Franklin Roosevelt, made English the language of instruction in all grades.
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At that time the Commissioner Jose M. Gallardo was named Commissioner of Education. The President of the United States complained that Puerto Ricans had not learned English and wished that all instruction was in English so that the next generation would speak English. The Commissioner of Education tried to implement a bilingual program, but many public protests were made and it was not permitted.
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Winthrop's policy was modified in which English was established as the language of instruction in secondary schools.
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Another shift toward nationalism occured by the Popular Party candidate and first elected Governor of Puerto Rico, Luis Muñoz Marín, who established Spanish as the language of instruction in all grades. English was to be taught for one period a day as a second language.
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Spanish prevailed until 6th grade and the English continued as a subject.
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Up to 9th grade the vernacular language was used as a teaching vehicle.
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The Commissioner of Education, Dr. Marian Villaronga ended the lengthy discussion of bilingualism.
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Decree the vernacular teaching at all levels of the public school starting in the school year 1949-1950.
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The President Lyndon B. Johnson, signed in the United States the Bilingual Education Act or Title VII .
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Funds have been received from the United Staes in order to meet the needs of the students.
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In the schools "Padre Rufo y Papa Juan XXIII" bilingual projects were implanted by the Popular Party government.
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Since 1978 the U.S. Congress authorize that bilingual education projects in Puerto Rico could have the focus toward learning Spanish for the functioning of the students that returned to the education system in Puerto Rico.
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In the power of the "Partido Nuevo Progresista" under the leadership of the Honorable Carlos Romero Barcelo, the Bilingual Education program is transferred to projects as part of the English Department.
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"Spanish Only" was a legislation approved as, Law Number 4, April 5, 1991 by the Popular Party.
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The "Spanish Only" law was revoked and substituded for Law Number 1, a Pro Statehood Party Language policy which established both English and Spanish as official languages on the island.
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Bilingual Education projects are autonomous.
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Bilingual Programs began in Puerto Rico as School for the 21st Century, BEC 21 project for Elementary Schools and ES21 for Middle and High Schools.
