Prepared by:

Tomas, R.A.N.

Javier, G.M.

Besinio, Z.

Sayana, J.E.

Pastrano, M.D.

Although José Rizal, now eleven years old, had passed a good entrance examination in Manila in June, 1872, he nearly failed to matriculate in the Ateneo in July, because his mother's arrest had made him a month late, and because he looked so little, so slender, so young. He would not have been admitted at all but for the intercession of Dr. Manuel Burgos, a nephew of the recently executed Dr. José Burgos.

Pepe Rizal’s formal schooling started when, at the age of eleven, he was admitted into the Ateneo Municipal which was then under the supervision of the Spanish Jesuits.

The curriculum of the five-year secondary course (leading to the degree of Bachiller en Artesor AB), included subjects such as Christian doctrine, Sacred history, Latin, Spanish, Greek, French, English, Algebra, Trigonometry, Geometry, Universal history, Spanish history, Latin literature, rhetoric and poetics, Social ethics, Psychology, Logic and other branches of Philosophy.

Young Rizal tackled his work as a genius would. He captured many honours in literary and artistic contests. He always had an edge over his classmates and he stayed at the top even during the written and oral examinations. His report cards were usually marked sobresaliente (excellent).

Whenever there was an oratorical tilt, Pepe Rizal was there winning medals as usual. He wrote a playlet in Spanish called "Junto al Pasig", which was presented in school.

On the spiritual side of school activities, Rizal was also a high-point man. He was Prefect of the Sodality of Our Lady with Fr. Pablo Pastells, S.J. as the Director.

Following the rigid methodical habits which he had learned from his father and which were taught by his Jesuit teachers, he prepared a schedule so that he would not lose an hour: study and reading until four p.m.; four to five, exercise; five to six social and miscellaneous obligations. This careful husbanding of every minute began to show results almost at once.

He began at the bottom of the school, but within a month he was "Emperor of Rome". The Ateneo had divided the students into two "empires", Roman and Carthaginian, to fight for academic supremacy. It was this war that soon brought young Rizal triumph and prizes. At the end of the first quarter he received the grade "excellent".

1872 Arithmetic . . . . . . . . . . . .Excellent1872-3 Latin 1. . . . . . . . . . . . .  "Spanish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   "Greek . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   " 

1873-4 Latin 2. . . . . . . . . . . . . ExcellentSpanish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  "Greek . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  "Geography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . " 

1874-5 Latin 3. . . . . . . . . . . . . ExcellentSpanish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . "Greek. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  "General History . . . . . . . . . . .  "Hist. of Spain and Phil. . . . . . .  "Arithmetic and Algebra . . . . . .  " 

1875-6 Rhetoric and Poetry . . . . ExcellentFrench . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  "Geometry and Trigonometry . . . " 

1876-7 Philosophy 1 . . . . . . . . . ExcellentMineralogy and Chemistry . . . . . "Philosophy 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  "Physics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  "Botany and Zoology. . . . . . . . .   "Bachelor in Arts. . . . . . . . . . . .   "

He was as good as he was brilliant. The Jesuits called him "a child excellent in religious sentiments, customs and application, with progress worthy of his signal talent.

Because of all this and because of his good conduct throughout his stay at the Ateneo, he succeeded in being admitted to the Marian Congregation in which he gradually rose until he became Secretary.

It was during the summer vacation in 1874 in Calamba when Rizal began to take interest in reading romantic novels. As a normal teenager, he became interested in love stories and romantic tales.

Thanks to the schedule José was following, he had time for extra reading. The first foreign book he read, (03) The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas, reminded him of the sufferings of his mother in prison and of his motherland. All over the Philippines were conditions worse than those which Dumas had described.

On Commencement Day, March 23, 1877 Rizal, who was 16 years old, received from his Alma Mater, Ateneo Municipal the degree of Bachelor of Arts, with highest honors.

But to Rizal, like all graduates, Commencement Day was a time of bitter sweetness, a joy mellowed with poignancy.

Rizal excelled in Extra-Curricular Activities, he surpassed academic triumphs. He was the “emperor” inside the classroom, he was a campus leader, he was the secretary of a religious society, he was also a member of the Academy of Spanish Lit. and Natural Science.

Rizal's delightful account of "What happened between April and December, 1877", throws so much light upon his boyish heart that it ought not be omitted. It is an account of his first love at sixteen, that painful experience which comes to nearly all adolescents. He writes the story three years later -- the youth of nineteen laughing at himself at sixteen.

After graduation with the highest position in Ateneo, Rizal had to go the University of Santo Tomas in order to prepare him self to a private career. The Bachelor of arts degree during Spanish times was equivalent to a high school diploma today. It merely qualified its holder to enter a university.

It was during the school term (1978-79) that Rizal took up medicine, enrolling simultaneously in preparatory medical course and the regular first year medical course.

The reason why he studied medicine were: 1.) He wanted to be a physician so that he may

cure his mother’s failing eyesight. 2.) The Father Recto of the University, whom he

consulted for a choice of career, finally answered his letter, and recommended medicine.

University of Santo Tomas (1877 – 78, Rizal also studied in Ateneo, he took the vocational course leading to a title of porito agrimensor (expert surveyor)). In those days it should be remembered, the college for boys in Manila offered vocational courses in agriculture, commerce, mechanics and surveying.

Rizal’s unhappy days at UST. Rizal’s Ateneo boy wonder, found the atmosphere at the UST a suffocating to his sensitive spirit. He was unhappy of this Dominican Institution of high learning because (1) the Dominican processors were hostile to him, (2) the filipino students were racially discriminated, and (3) the method of teachings were obsolete and repressive.

In the year 1879 the Liceo Artistico-Literario of Manila, a society of literary men and artists, held a literary contest. Rizal who was 18 then won the contest.

The judges were very impressed because of the inspiring poem and its flawless form.

Rizal was the champion of the Filipino students in their frequent fights against the arrogant Spanish students, who were often surpassed by the Filipino in class work and who insultingly call their brown classmates “Indio, chongo!” In retaliation, the Filipino students called them “Kastila,bangus!” Hostility between these two groups of students often exploded in angry street rumbles.

Rizal participated in these student brawls. Owing to his skills in fencing, his prowess in wrestling, and his indomitable courage.

In 1880 he founded a secret society of Filipino students in UST called “Compañerismo”

Rizal, Ateneo’s boy wonder, found the atmosphere at UST suffocating to his sensitive spirit. He was unhappy at this Dominican institution of higher learning.

In his novel, “El Fili”, he described how the Filipino students were humiliated and insulted by their Dominican professors and how backward the method of instruction was, especially in the teaching of the natural sciences.

He related in Chapter XIII, “The Class in Physics”, that his science subject was taught without laboratory instruments/experiments.

Because of the unfriendly attitude of his professors, Rizal the most brilliant graduate of the Ateneo, failed to win high scholastic honors. Although his grades in the first year of Philosophy were all “excellent”, they were not impressive in the four years of his medical course.

Although his grades in the first year of the philosophy course were all “excellent,” they were not impressive in the four years of his medical course. His scholastic records in the UST (1879-82)

After finishing the fourth year of his medical course, Rizal decided to study in Spain. He could no longer endure the rampant bigotry, discrimination, and hostility in UST.