▪ MAESTRO JUSTINIANO CRUZ – he

had the reward and punishment as his

method of teaching; he used corporal
punishment to inculcate discipline to his
students.
▪ PEDRO- He was challenged by Rizal to a
fight.
▪ JUANCHO- Rizal’s teacher in painting.
FORMAL SEARCH FOR KNOWLEDGE AT ATENEO MUNICIPAL

• Rizal entered Ateneo Municipal when he was 11 years old,

four months after the execution of Gomburza and Dona
Teodora still in Prison.

• His father decide not to send him at the Colegio de

San Jose because of the unhappy experience his brother
Paciano had in the said school.

• His father wanted to send Rizal to Colegio de San Juan

de Letran but later decided to have him enrolled at
Ateneo Municipal formerly known as Escuela Pia.
• Rizal took the entrance
examination at the
Colegio de San Juan de
Letran on June 10, 1872

• After passing the

qualifying examination,
Rizal sought admission at
the Ateneo Municipal.
• Father Magin Fernando, the college registrar, was at
first very firm in denying Rizal admission.
• Rizal was refused to be admitted in this institution for two
reasons;
late registrant and Frail and undersized for his age.
• Due to the intervention of Manuel Burgos, the college
registrar finally admitted the young Jose.
• Jose adopted the surname Rizal at the ateneo because
their family name Mercado had come under suspicion of
the Spanish authorities.
• Ateneo was located in
Intramuros, Manila. He
boarded in a house on
Caraballo Street, 25 mins
walk from the campus. The
boarding house was owned by
Titay. Who owed Rizal family
P300. Jose boarded there to
collect part of the debt.
• Jesuits trained the character of every student through
rigid discipline and Religious instructions. Students
were required to hear masses in the morning before the
start of the classes. Classes usually began and ended
with prayer.
• Atenean teachers enforced a program of dividing a class
into two competing empires: the Romans and the
Carthaginians.
• Roman Empire were the boarding students at Ateneo, and
the Carthaginian Empire were non-boarding students.
• Both empire had their ranks and dignities, namely:
emperor, tribune, decurion, centurion, and standard
bearer.
• Rizal understood the seriousness and severity of his
studies. In order to excel he made himself follow a daily
timeline, which he rigidly observed.
• Rizal lagged behind his classmates. But in a month’s
time. He emerged as the emperor in the Class.
• Rizal’s first professor in Ateneo was Fr. Jose Bech.
• Rizal was placed at the bottom of the class since he was
a newcomer and knows little Spanish.
• He was externo (Carthaginian). Occupying the end of
the line. But at the end of the month.
He became the emperor of his empire.
• He was the brightest student in the whole class, and
he was awarded a prize, a religious prize.
• Rizal took private lessons in Santa Isabela College
during noon recess to improve his Spanish language,
paying three pesos for those extra lessons.
• Rizal didn’t enjoy his summer vacation because his
mother was in prison, so Neneng (Saturnina) brought
him to Tanauan.
• But without telling his father, he went to Santa
Cruz to visit her mother in prison. He told her of
his brilliant grades.
• After, he returned to Manila and now boarded in
Intramuros at No. 6 Magallanes Street.
• At the end of the school year, Rizal received excellent
grades in all subjects and a gold medal.
• The court of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas-
the first favorite novel of Rizal made a deep
impression on him.
• Universal History by Cesar Cantu- Rizal persuaded
his father to buy him set of historical work that was
a great aid in his studies.
• Rizal grades remained excellent in all subjects, but he
won only one medal- in Latin.
• At the end of the school year, Rizal returned to
Calamba for summer vacation. He himself was not
impressed by his scholastic work.
• June 16, 1875- Rizal became an Interno in Ateneo.
• Padre Francisco de Paula Sanchez- a great
educator and scholar, one of Rizal’s professors who
inspired him to study harder and to write poetry.
• Rizal topped all his classmates in all subjects and
won five medals at the end of the school term.
• Rizal- the most brilliant Atenean of his time, and
was truly the pride of the Jesuits
• Graduated with Highest Honor.
• March 23, 1877- Rizal received from his Alma mater,
Ateneo Municipal, the degree of Bachelor of Arts,
with Highest honors.
• Rizal’s academic triumph at Ateneo can be attributed to three
factors, namely: Racial pride, monastic, discipline and
seclusion of boarding school life.
• He exerted extraordinary efforts to prove to his Spanish
classmates that the Filipino students can compete with
them academically.
• The monastic discipline of competition inside the classroom
triggered in him the motivation to outdo his classmates.
• Owing to the seclusion of his boarding school life, he was
able to devote more time to his studies.
• He became a member of and eventually an officer
in the religious confraternities at Ateneo-
SODALITY OF OUR LADY; APOSTLESHIP OF
PRAYER
• He also joined the Academy of Spanish Literature
and the Academy of Natural Sciences
• Rizal took painting lesson under Agustin Saez.
And sculpture lessons under Romualdo de Jesus.
• As a result of the talent, he had in fine arts,
Rizal was able to carve the image of the
Virgin Mary and the Sacred Heart of Jesus
• He also sustained the physical fitness
training he started under his Tio MANUEL.
• The first poem he wrote as a student was entitled Mi
Primera Inspiracion (My first Inspiration). This
poem was dedicated by Rizal to his mother on the
latter’s natal day.
• Un Cuerdo de Mi Pueblo (In memory of my Town)-
This poem was his way of paying homage to his
birthplace, Calamba
• Al Niño Jesus(To the Child Jesus)- written by Rizal
during his student days, when he was 14 years old. This
poem was his expression of his devotion to Catholicism.
• Through Education The country Receives Light-
Rizal compared education to lighthouse, considering
that it can guide people in their behaviors and
actions.
• The Intimate Alliance Religion and Good
Education- Rizal stressed the importance of religion
to education, For Rizal education not centered on
God cannot be considered true education.
• Rizal’s completion of the Bachiller
en Artes at Ateneo Municipal
entitled him for admission to higher
studies at a university.
• Although Doña Teodora was
opposed to Rizal’s pursuit of higher
education for fear of what might
happen to him due to the
martyrdom of Gomburza, Don
Francisco decided to send him to
UST.
• At first, Rizal was not certain of what course to pursuit after
graduation with honors at Ateneo. His former Jesuit
mentors were suggesting that Rizal should take either
priesthood or farming.
• Rizal considered going into literature, law or medicine.
• His brother Paciano discouraged him to pursue law, owing
to his belief that Rizal will not be able to practice the
profession later due to political conditions in the country
during those times.
• Uncertain of what to take up, the sixteen-year-old
Rizal enrolled the course Philosophy and letters,
during freshman year at UST.
• In the first place, the said course was what his father
wanted him to pursue, Second, his decision to enroll
in the said academic program could also attributed to
his failure to solicit the advice of Father Ramon
Pablo.
• After his freshman year, Rizal shifted his course from
philosophy and letters to medicine. This was about
by two factors.
• He was advised by Father Ramon to pursue the
course owing to his mother’s failing eyesight, Rizal
felt that he should finish medicine so that he could
cure his mother’s physical ailment.
• Rizal’s academic performance at UST was not comparative
with how he fared in Ateneo.
• His unhappiness at UST can be traced to three factors,
namely: the hostility of Dominican Professors to Rizal;
Racial discrimination against Filipino students and
Obsolete and repressive method of instruction at UST.
• From Rizal’s scholastic records, it was obvious that he was
not a good material for a medical course. His grades in most
of his medical subjects were generally average, indicating
that medicine was not his real vocation but in the arts.
• Rizal’s unsatisfactory performance can also be attributed
to the exciting distractions of youth he experienced as a
student in Manila. Rizal became fascinated with women
during his student days at UST.
• At first, he became infatuated with Segunda Katigbak
of Batangas, whom he visited often in her boarding
house frequently.
• In fact, there is a time that he was courting LEONOR
“Orang” was already engaged with another man, Rizal
concentrated his efforts on Leonor Rivera.
• The influx or liberal ideas can be attributed to the opening of
the Suez Canal, and the opening of the Philippines to the world
Trade.
• To encourage the production of literary works in Manila, the
Liceo Artistico Literario de Manila, an organization of art
lovers in the city, conducted regular competition in literary
writing.
• Rizal joined the contests. His entries, A La Juventud Filipino
(To the Filipino Youth) and El Consejo de los Dioses (The
Council of the Gods) were adjudged as the best entry in the
said competition.
• The influx or liberal ideas can be attributed to the opening of
the Suez Canal, and the opening of the Philippines to the world
Trade.
• To encourage the production of literary works in Manila, the
Liceo Artistico Literario de Manila, an organization of art
lovers in the city, conducted regular competition in literary
writing.
• Rizal joined the contests. His entries, A La Juventud Filipino
(To the Filipino Youth) and El Consejo de los Dioses (The
Council of the Gods) were adjudged as the best entry in the
said competition.
• A La Juventud Filipina. A La Juventud Filipina was a
classic in Philippine Literature for two reasons. First it was
the first great poem in Spanish written by a Filipino
recognized by the Spanish authorities. Second, it was the
first expression of the nationalistic concept that the
Filipinos were the fair hope of the motherland.
• Another important point that Rizal stressed in the poem
relate to the role of youth in nation building from the
poem, he called the youth. The Fair Hope of the
Motherland.
• Rizal challenged the youth of his day to do three things,
to cultivate their talents in the arts; to develop their
knowledge of the sciences, and to look forward and
break their chain of bondage.
• EL Consejo de los Dioses. It was an allegory in praise of
Cervantes as a co-equal of Homer and Virgil. The entry
was judged the best entry in the competition that year.
The Jury, however, upon discovering that its author was a
Filipino decided to confer the grand prize to a Spaniard.
• Junto al Pasig. It is a play written by Rizal at the
request of Jesuits and was staged at Ateneo, in
connection with celebration of the Feast Day of
Immaculate Conception.
• A Filipinas, This sonnet was written by Rizal in
1880 not only to praise the Philippines for its
beauty but to encourage artist to glorify the
country through their art works.
• In order to show their Spanish detractors that Filipino
students were united, Rizal organized a secret society of
Filipino students. This society came to be called
Compañerismo. The members called themselves
Companions of Jehu. Rizal naturally became the president of
this secret society, with Galicano Apacible as secretary
• He criticized the humiliating treatment of brown. Filipino
students, who were often insulted by their Dominican
mentors.
• He also condemned the archaic/old method of instruction at
UST.
• He described comically the teaching of Physics devoid
of laboratory experiments. Students could not even
touch the different laboratory apparatus and
equipment.

• Moreover, favoritism and skin color, not

meritocracy and intellectual brilliance, were the
criteria for judging the actual academic performance
of students,
• Rizal had his first taste of Spanish brutality during his
first summer vacation at Calamba after his freshman
year at UST. While he was walking in the street, he
failed to see the man passing by owing to the darkness
of the night. Because he was not able to recognize the
man who happened to be lieutenant of the Guardia
Civil, Rizal did not bother to salute nor greet him
Buenas noches. Since, the lieutenant was expecting
that he treated with respect and courtesy by
everybody in the town. What he did was to whip out his
sword and slashed it at Rizal’s back.
• Rizal was wounded. He sent a written complaint to
Governor-General Primo de Rivera about the
incident Nothing positive came out from his complaint,
considering that he was an Indio. This incident left a
deep impression on Rizal.
• After completing his fourth year in the medical course, Rizal
decided to leave the country for Europe. While obviously, Rizal
was to leave the country to complete his medical course in
Barcelona ,Spain, this was not the real reason for his sudden
departure.
• There were hidden purposes for his voyage to a new world. It
can be inferred from Paciano’s letter to Rizal that the following
were the real purposes of Rizal’s voyage to Europe; to make a
name for himself in the realm of journalism; to observe and
study European society; and to prepare himself for the task of
liberating the Filipinos from Spanish tyranny
➢Assignment: On an A4 size Bondpaper
(on your own words)

Rizal recognized the flaws in the

country’s educational system that
needed to be addressed during his
lifetime. In 350 words, identify issues in
today’s educational system and propose
solutions to improve them.