Graduation Extension in Public Schools: A Historical Analysis
Graduation Extension in Public Schools
Extension of Graduation to Other Public Schools
Attempt by Minister Juan de la Cierva
Upon entering the Ministry of Public Instruction, Juan de la Cierva, from the Conservative Party, initiated a reorganization of the education system. He presented a basis for educational reform by introducing changes that became legal precepts through Royal Decrees of March 22 and 30, 1905. Among these innovations were:
- Extension of school graduation to all public schools.
- Deletion of salaries for wealthy children; 2 pesetas were paid only for registration.
- Reduction to 8 of the 14 categories of teachers, thereby raising the minimum wage to 1,000 pesetas a year.
- Allocation of teaching materials and furniture to schools.
The Regulation of June 16, 1905, further developed this application with reference to:
- Graduation in attention to the characteristics of each school district.
- Rotation of teachers.
- Order cyclical education.
- Description of the master director of a higher grade or age in the locality.
All of these reform initiatives were crippled by a lack of economic resources and an increase in the government of the Liberal Party.
Consequently, the Royal Decree of August 18, 1905, suppressed these initiatives.
The Statements of Count Romanones
After a long silence from the administration, the issue of graduate education resumed its legal standing in 1910 with a new period of Liberal government led by Count Romanones. He believed that the transformation of public education, specifically primary school, was crucial but hampered by financial constraints, though it could take longer. He demanded an organic transformation under a clear plan. This change must come gradually in stages and with direct state intervention. In April 1910, an assembly of inspectors presented their findings, written in a memory, to the courts. The report outlined the state of education and the foundations of his theory, proposing:
- Education as the State’s primary function.
- A National School (not municipal) free of charge.
- New salary scale (1000 pesetas minimum).
- Creation of 12,000 new schools.
The reform of old buildings was considered an urgent necessity; a problem requiring a solution raised in modest terms, because there was not enough money to build needed schools. To fit the mold of modern pedagogical thought in a graduate school, because the unit is an economic absurdity and pedagogy. In addition to having them (graduates) there is a properly trained and paid staff.
For all this transformation possible, was given a time of 10 years. The basis of this transformation are in:
May 6, 1910 – It aims to transform into those schools graduated unit of 70 students and create schools where they are missing. Each section would have 50 students. Funding for new teachers would leave the budget of 200,000 pesetas in 1910. But there was not that amount to 25% of the municipalities. In Murcia, the municipalities were 28 applicants, but only gave them 3: Yecla, Caravaca Abarán and 10.7% of applicants.
Royal Decree of July 8, 1910 – Surge by their inability to comply with the above in the previous decree. This is proposed to go graduate schools in towns of 2,000 or more as they become vacant.
The number of students per section would be 60. It also established new categories for the salaries of teachers and introducing the gratitude of education with the abolition of the perks to wealthy children. In this way the reform was legally established.