Murcia’s Patriotic Schools: Evolution of Primary Education (1784-1860)
1.2. Patriotic School of Letters and Your First Teaching Plan
Since its inception, Murcia’s Economic Society had made great efforts to improve primary education, annually spending large amounts on awards to stimulate teachers and students.
In October 1784, a particular board was formed by members of the society to consider an appropriate teaching plan. They deemed it most urgent to establish a new plan specifying what should be taught in schools and how to implement it. Thus arose the “Plan for Teaching First Letters,” which regulated education, dividing it into six classes:
- 3 for reading: spelling, letters, pronunciation, quick reading.
- 3 for writing: teaching writing, writing more correctly, and teaching those who already know how to write well.
Once the plan was prepared, the establishment of a free school was considered, especially for educating poor children who otherwise would not have had access to primary education. This school began teaching on January 20, 1786, and the Society designated six awards to reward the six most excellent students. The school director was Mariano Galtero.
In the early nineteenth century, Murcia’s economy suffered a significant decline. The situation was so grave that the patriotic school of first letters had to be closed for a time on October 30, 1807, following the death of Mariano Galtero, after 21 years of operation. In 1822, the school was reopened but closed three months later due to lack of funds and adequate teachers. It wasn’t until 1834 that the patriotic school for both sexes was created.
1.3 The Patriotic Schools for Both Sexes
1.3.1 Formation of Regulations
As seen earlier, in 1822, after several years without receiving any funding, the Society was forced to close the lessons it had in its charge.
Following these events, the idea of opening a patriotic school for men and women began to emerge, but the plan was not presented until 1831. The committee that drafted the new plan catered to the education of boys and girls separately, with different teachers. Once presented, it was approved by the Royal Economic Society of Murcia in 1832, which created operating regulations highlighting points such as:
School Children:
Teachers and Pupils: The education of children would be charged to two teachers and one intern selected by competitive examination, holding the appropriate title. The number of children was set at 100, with 36 receiving free education and the rest paying.
Division of the School and Teaching Organization: The school would consist of two separate rooms or spaces. One would be an amphitheater where students learned to read with the second teacher and the intern. Another classroom, with desks and inkwells, would be for teaching writing, arithmetic, and grammar.
Teaching Materials and Texts: Christian Doctrine, reading prose and verse, writing correctly, the first four arithmetic operations, fractions and denominators (using Vallejo’s text), and rules of etiquette and politics.
School Schedule: There would be no summer vacation; the course was 12 months a year, 6 hours per day, and 5 in summer.
There were prizes to encourage students and partner school curators who oversaw the school’s operation.
Girls’ Schools:
Teachers and Students: The girls would be led by a teacher and an assistant appointed by the Royal Society. The number of girls was 48, with half receiving free education and half paying.
Teaching Materials and Texts: Christian Doctrine, reading prose and verse, sewing, embroidery, and the rules of politeness and courtesy.
School Schedule: There would be no summer vacation; the course was 12 months a year, 6 hours per day, and 5 in summer, just like the children.
1.3.2. Appointment of Teachers, Opening, and Operation
The only thing missing to put the school into operation was a building for classes, which was eventually secured. Teachers would be selected by competitive examination, but initially, only one person met the requirements.
In view of this, it was decided to review and reform the regulations, particularly regarding teachers’ salaries, as the former salaries were low and did not attract candidates when submitted to competitions.
Once the regulations were reformed, the search for teachers through competitive examination proceeded. Two examining committees were formed, one for male teachers and one for female teachers. When teachers were assigned to their positions, the school was opened in 1834.
1.3.3. Questioning and Discontinuance of Schools
A cholera epidemic in Murcia lasted many months. Some teachers died or gave up their positions, necessitating replacements. Consequently, teachers in the schools were constantly changing.
In 1855, the Society questioned the value of these schools when there were others funded by the municipality that poor children could attend. Moreover, the school children were in a sorry state of neglect; the children, especially those receiving free education, frequently missed class, and those who were expelled had many faults.
Unlike the boys, the girls’ education was successful, and many advances were achieved. The partners initially agreed not to close the schools, but seeing the situation of the students and the existence of schools funded by the city council, the Royal Society decided to abolish them, which it did in 1860.