Puerto Rico Language Policy Timeline

1898-1900

Oct 17, 1898

PuertoRico cede to U.S. under Treaty of Paris. Military goverment established and Englis as medium of instruction. Dr. John Eaton and Dr. Victor Clark establish teachers should learn English to obtian better opportunities on bieng hired.

1900-1902

Oct 17, 1900

foracker Act installs civil administration with governor and commssioner of education appointed by U.S. Official Languages Act passed-English and Spanish co official language. The educational policy proposed tha Spanish will be kept and English was going to be learned as a special course.

1902-1904

Oct 17, 1902

The use of English increased with the vison of making it the officlal language in Puerto Rican school.

1905-1913

Oct 17, 1913

Spanish is suppressed. The English language is used as the teaching tool in all grades of the School System.

1913

Oct 17, 1913

Spanish language is used in First grade in courses such as Hygiene, Health, and Reading.

1915

Oct 21, 1915

A proposal was presented to make mandatory the use of Spanish as the teaching tool.

1916-1934

Oct 21, 1916

Spanish as medium of instrution in grades First to Fourth grade and English was going to be used in half of the provided course from Fifth to twelfth.In high school,

1917

Oct 21, 1917

Jones Act declrw puerto Ricans to be U.S. Citizens.

1921-1930

Oct 21, 1930

Lic. Juan B. Huyke emphasized on the use of English inside and outside the classroom to both students and teachers

1930

Oct 21, 1930

Dr. José Padín presented the use of English as foriegn language for educational purposes and use of the Spanish as tool for instruction. English was taugth as secoond language.

1936

Oct 21, 1936

Commissioner José M. Gallardo tried to implement Bilingual Programs unsuccessfully because people thougth that using more English was going to lead to assimilation and not using it meant to being "Anti-American".

1934-1942

Oct 21, 1942

Spanish as medium of intruction in grades1-2 wtih English as subject in grades 3-8, Spanish and Engish with increasing emphasis on English in high school, English as medium of instruction with Spanish as subject.

1942

Oct 21, 1942

Spanish until sixth grade prevailed and English was taugh as a course.

1945-1946

Oct 21, 1946

Bills proposing Spanish as sole medium of instruction passed by Puerto rican legislature but vetoed by President Truman.

1948

Oct 21, 1948

Spnish used as tool for instruction until ninth grade.

1949-1950

Oct 21, 1950

Dr. Mariano Villarongo established the use os Spanish at all school levels and English as mandatory course. ( policy that we have nowadays in most schools in Puerto Rico).

1970

Oct 21, 1970

Fund were solicited to address students who return from the U.S. to puerto Rico, the Bilingual Education Programs.

1972-1976

Oct 21, 1976

Padre Rufo and Papa Juan XXIII Bilingual Project take places in Puerto Rico under the 'Partido Popular Democratico" goverment.

1978

Oct 21, 1978

The USA congress authorired that Bilingual Education projects had bettre focus o teaching Spanish to returning students.

1984

Oct 21, 1984

the Bilingual Education Program, already established stops being a program and their projects were transferred to the English Deparment.

1992

Oct 21, 1992

Official languages Act reinstated Spanish an English returned as co-official languages of Puerto Rico.

1993

Oct 21, 1993

Projects from Bilingual Education become autonomous.

1997

Oct 21, 2012

The Bilingual Citizen projects began.

2012

Oct 21, 2012

Bilingual projects take place in Puerto Rico. BEC21 project for Elementary Schools and ES21 for Middle and High Schools.