Policies of the Department of Education regarding the teaching of English in the past 114 years
By omaira
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YEARS 1889 TO 1900
Puerto Rico became a possession of the U.S. Dr. John Eaton, Ex-commissioner of the US and his helper, Dr. Victor Clark established that all Puerto Rican teachers must learn English and those who were so prepared would have contract preferences. Clarck stated that the Spanish language spoken in PR was so poor, that it would be as easy to teach the people English than Spanish. -
1900
The Department of Public Instruction was created. The policy was that Spanish would be taught and English would be acquired as a special subject. -
1902-1904
English was used more in schools. Teachers were sent to the United States to study the language. English was one of the criteria in the selection of teachers. -
1905-1913
English was used to teach in the Public School System. Teachers would have to continue studies during the summer, and were rewarded with a ten dollar raise. By 1910 English was taught in every school in Puerto Rico. -
1913
Spanish was used to teach some subjects like hygiene, health and reading. -
1915
A bill was presented that would make Spanish mandatory in schools and in judicial hearings. -
1917
Jones Act gave Puerto Ricans American citizenship. -
1921-1930
English was required to be spoken in and out of schools, in teacher meetings and in teacher-students meetings. Books were only published in English and Spanish publishing were banned. -
1916-1934
Spanish was established as the language of preference for teaching grades first to fourth. English was used to teach some subjects of fifth grade all the way to high school. -
1934
Blanton S. Winthrop was named governor, changing again the language policy to English. All grades were taught in English. -
1948
Luis Muñoz Marín became the first elected Governor of Puerto Rico and established Spanish as the language to teach in all grades. -
1930-1950
English was again changed to be learned as a second language with special programs for their enrichment. -
1968
The US signed the Title VII or Bilingual Education Law. Hon. Don Luis A. Ferré was the governor. -
1974
The bilingual project was implanted in two schools of Puerto Rico Papa Juan XXIII and Padre Rufo. The Bilingual Cultural Project continued and were converted into one of the Public Instruction Department programs. During this time the Bilingual Education Certification Law was signed. Even dough the law was signed; teachers still have difficulty in acquiring this certification. -
1980-1984
The Bilingual Education Program was no longer considered a "program" and all of the projects were transfered to the English Department. -
Spanish Only
The "Spanish Only Legislation was approved in 1991. -
1988-1992
A census showed that thousands of students are coming back from the US., and the Department of Education approved four projets to two major universities for the Certification of teachers. -
Law Number 1
The "Spanish Only" Legislation was revoked and substituded for Law num. 1 that established both English and Spanish were the official languages in the island. -
UP TO TODAY
Education Bilingual programs are still autonomous. -
1941
Winthrop's policy was modified in 1941. English was only taught in secondary schools.
