EARLY SCHOOLING IN BIAN Before his formal education

EARLY SCHOOLING IN BIÑAN Before his formal education, Rizal had private tutors and private sessions held at home. His first tutor was Maestro Celestino. Followed A by Maestro Lucas Padua. former classmate of his father, Leon Monroy also tutored him in Spanish and Latin.

At the age of nine, Rizal started his formal education. He was sent to Biñan in June 1869, he was accompanied by his brother Paciano. It was difficult for the young Rizal to leave his family, although Biñan was beautiful, he felt lonely and remembered his parents and sisters. He was enrolled in the class of Maestro Justiniano Aquino Cruz, who was a former teacher of Paciano.

He met Juancho, the father-in-law of his teacher. Juancho developed within Rizal, together with his classmate, Jose Guevarra the art of painting. They two became an apprentice of Juancho and were later dubbed as the “painters of the class’

In the early education of Rizal, important events took place which made a huge impact in the life of the young Rizal that eventually helped him in search for more meaning during his Propaganda years. His first event was the execution of the three martyred priest. Second, was the imprisonment of his mother when he was only eleven years old.

Maestro Justiniano Cruz (Village school Teacher)

Paciano accompanied Rizal to village school under the charge of Maestro Justiniano At there Rizal met the bully Pedro. Rizal who was angry to this bully for making fun of him during his conversation with maestro Justiniano about knowledge of Rizal in Latin and Spanish language. This is something that Jose Rizal could not forget.

During lunch-break, Rizal challenge Pedro to fight then he won to that. From that, Rizal gain his became popularity at school village.

Academic Studies at the Village School : At this Level Rizal was able to demonstrate his Superiority. He was able to merge his best in Latin , Spanish and the rest of the subject. Many of his older classmate in Binan get jealous of Rizal and trying to destroy Rizal reputation to Maestro Justiniano

Rizal did not enjoy his schooling at the village school, under Maestro Justiniano Cruz. In fact he did not even like his teacher, who describe as a tall man with a long neck, and sharp nose and body bent slightly forward. Maestro Justiniano uses corporal punishment for the student to really understand on what does he teach.

LIFE IN ATENEO (DISCRIMINATION RECEIVED) He enrolled in Ateneo Municipal with the help of Dr. Manuel Burgos, the nephew of the Dr. Jose Burgos. The Jesuit education followed a traditional academic competition wherein the class divided into two (2) empires, Roman and Greek to fight for the academic supremacy In this instance, Rizal showed his intelligence by gradually became the “Emperor of Rome”.

The Jesuit education used traditional method of teaching wherein questioning on the lesson of the day and a review of the previous work. Likewise, Rizal intelligence can easily assimilate all kinds of knowledge particularly in liberal arts such as languages, philosophy and sciences. These were the academic life and achievements of Rizal when he stayed in Ateneo Municipal for five years 1872 to 1877 which he was able to complete Bachelor of Arts.

1 st Year in Ateneo : Emergence in the Class as Emperor This was the true account as to his studies in Ateneo (Reminiscences: Chapter IV, 1872 -1875) which he experienced when he was 1 st year in the Ateneo:

“ Today I’m going to relate to you my studies. As I had expected, I was introduced at the Ateneo Municipal to the Rev. Father Minister who at that time was Father Magin Fernando. At first he did not want to admit me whether because I had come after the period of admission was over or because of my rather weak constitution and short stature: I was then eleven years old. But later, at the request of Mr. Manuel Jerez, nephew of the ill-fated Father Burgos and now Licentiate in Medicine, the difficulties were removed and I was admitted. I dressed like the rest, that is, I put on a coat with a ready-made necktie.

With what fervor I entered the chapel of the Jesuit Fathers to hear Mass, what most fervent prayers I addressed to God, for in my sadness I didn’t know whom else to invoke. After Mass, I went to class where I saw a great number of children, Spaniards, mestizos and Filipinos, and a Jesuit who was the professor. He was called Father Jose Bech. He was a tall man, thin, with a body slightly bent forward, with nasty pace, an ascetic, severe and inspired physiognomy, sunken, small eyes, Grecian nose, fine lips forming an arch who ends turned towards his beard.

The Father was somewhat lunatic so that one should not be surprised to find him sometimes disgusted and with a slightly intolerant humor while sometimes he a mused himself, playing like a child. Among my classmates I should mention to you some who were quite interesting and perhaps would be mentioned by me frequently. One boy or young man of my own province called Florencio Gavino Oliva had an excellent mind but was of ordinary studiousness. One Joaquin Garrido, a Spanish mestizo, with poor memory but bright and studious.

Resembling him very much was one Moises Santiago, mathematician and penman. One Gonzalo Marzano who then occupied the canopied throne of Roman Emperor. You should know that in the Jesuit colleges, in order to stimulate students, they put up two empires, one Roman and the other Carthaginian or Greek, constantly at war, and in which the highest positions were won through challenges, the winner being the one who made three mistakes less than his rival. They put me at the tail end. I scarcely knew Spanish but I already understood it. ”

After the school term , Rizal spent his vacation at his hometown. He never forget his experience about being unhappy because their mother was no yet with them. “This happened in 1873. But my happiness was never complete for my mother was not yet with us. I went to visit her then alone without telling my father about it. This was after the school term and told her that I received accessit. With what delight I surprised her! But afterwards we embraced each other weeping. It was almost more than a year that we had not seen each other. Even now I remember with sad pleasure the mute scene that occurred between us. Ah. How cruel men are towards their fellow men ! I visited her again. ”

At young age, Rizal frustrations and sadness was not on his academic life but the greatest influence upon him was the legal persecution of his mother, who was innocent to this crime. As a result of this Spanish judicial injustice the children of the family of Francisco suffered so much on emotional agony. Primarily, Rizal who was the youngest love so much his mother who usually visited her in the dungeon of the Spanish authority.

2 - 3 Year in Ateneo : Sustained Brilliant Scholastic Record and Exploratory Leisure to the Reading of Novels When vacation was over, Rizal had to return to Manila to enroll for the second year course and to look a landlady inside the walled city. He was already tired of living outside the city so he found one at Magellan’s Street no. 6, where lived an old lady called Dona Pepay. She had a daughter, also a widow, with four sons : Jose Rafael, Ignacio, and Ramon.

For Rizal nothing extraordinary happened to him this year, his professor was the same as the one last year. Rizal continually proved his excellent academic performance, which he won a medal in this year. This was also the personal account of Rizal when he was in the 2 nd year: (Reminiscences: Chapter IV, 1872 -1875 ) until the age of thirteen years old and still studying in Ateneo. He wrote this account in Calamba, Laguna on April 7, 1879:

By this time I began to devote myself in my leisure hours to the reading of novels though years before I had already read El Ultimo Abenecerraje, but didn’t read it with ardor. Imagine a boy of twelve years reading the Count of Montecristo enjoying sustained dialogues and delighting in its beauties and the following step by step its hero in his revenge.

Under the pretext that I had to study universal history, I importuned my father to buy me Ceasare Cantu’s work and God along knows the benefits I got from its perusal, for despite my average studiousness and my little practice in Castilian tongue in the following year I was able to win prizes in quarterly examinations and I would have won the medal were if not frosome mistakes in Spanish, that unfortunately spoke idly, which enabled the young man M. G. , a European, to have an advantage over me in this regard.

When he was in third year, Rizal had shown obedience and responsible student as he was reaching the age of adolescence. It must be interesting to know that Rizal was a good boy even when he was young child living in Calamba and Binan. This was also the happiest moment of Rizal because his mother was coming out free, acquitted and vindicated by the legal persecution made by her by the Spanish officials.

Thus, in order to study the third year course, I had to return to Manila and I found Dona Pepay without a room for boarders. I had to stay at the house of D. P. M. together with a rich fellow townsman called Quintero. I was discontented because they were strict with me but I kept regular hours which was good for me. I prayed and played with the landlord’s children. My mother was not delayed in coming out free, acquitted and vindicated, and as soon as she was out she came to embrace me… I wept…

After two months and a half, I left that house and returned to the recently vacated room in the house of my landlady Dona Pepay and returned also to the same life as before. As a result of what happened to me in studies, as I have already narrated I received only the first prize in Latin, that is, a medal, not like last year, so that I returned to my hometown discontented, through I knew the many would have danced with joy for less. My family resolved to put me in the college as a boarder. Indeed it was time for I was giving very little attention to my studies. I was already approaching thirteen years and I had not yet made any brilliant showing to my

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