Chilean Education Evolution: 1810-1850
Chilean Education: 1810-1850
Camilo Henríquez proposed a 3-year primary education in Chile:
- First year: Basic literacy (reading and writing)
- Second year: Moral education alongside literacy
- Third year: Arithmetic, geometry, physics; students become monitors
Teachers oversaw three classrooms, maintaining discipline and monitoring tasks.
O’Higgins’ “falling drops” method (1823) was revived in 1828.
The 1822 Constitution mandated public education and the establishment of monasteries and schools.
Founding Fathers’ educational intentions:
- State-controlled education
- Free education
- Separation of education from the church
Pedagogical Practices
Practices were similar to ancient methods: memorization, corporal punishment (whip, gloves, cane), and psychological methods.
Evaluation: Public displays and skill-based competitions.
Changes began with the republic’s stabilization.
The 1833 Constitution:
- Declared education a primary state function
- Assigned Congress the creation of a national education plan
- Established a public school superintendent
Internal conflicts and resource scarcity delayed implementation until 1824. The issue was revisited post-war.
“State control of education doesn’t negate teaching freedom. Chile is Catholic, Apostolic, and Roman.”
Science education was postponed in favor of church-provided credentials.
The press played a critical role in advocating for public instruction.
The 1833 Constitution established three school funding sources:
- Public schools (tax-funded, focused on secondary education)
- Community schools (city-funded)
- Convent schools (religious order-funded)
1833: Medical school established at the National Institute.
1841: Normal school for tutors created, training the first primary teachers.
Science education largely excluded lower classes due to lack of resources and perceived financial irrelevance.
1842: University of Chile founded.
1843: Primary education reached 10,000 children out of 1,083,801 inhabitants.
1853: Normal school for women established to address teacher shortages.
Education adopted a positivist science approach, but coverage remained insufficient. Many preferred sending children to work.
Formative Stage: 1810-1842
- Enlightened Creole proponents of independence
- Initial focus on primary and secondary education
- Limited resources
Post-1850, popular education gained prominence:
- Emphasis on popular education
- Public opinion viewed education as crucial for moral and societal development
- Education seen as an intervention in daily life, not just cognitive skill instruction
- Primary schools aimed to instill habits and improve domestic economy
- Focus on improving working-class lifestyles, not just employment
Liberals advocated for technical education as a poverty solution.
Domingo Faustino and the Amunategi siblings proposed habit-forming education and state-provided education.
Compulsory primary education was proposed in 1843.
1843: Deplorable State of Education
- 10,000 children received basic instruction
- Poor teacher status (low pay)
1843 Educational Project:
- Divide schools into elementary (habit formation, 4 years) and higher (6 years, official curriculum)
- Distinguish between private, convent, and public schools
- Free education funded by municipalities and convents