Rizal 4: Higher Education and Life Abroad

• Jose was sent to Manila to study at the Ateneo Municipal


  June 1872
• Ateneo was the former Escuela Pia or charity school in Manila under the supervision of Jesuits
• Ateneo was the counterpart of Colegio de San Juan de Letran
• Don Francisco changed his mind and decided to send Rizal to Ateneo Municipal
• Rizal almost did not enroll due to being late for registration and appearing frail and sickly
• Through the intercession of Manuel Burgos, Jose was able to enter Ateneo
• Jose used the surname "Rizal" for the first time
• Jose was called an "externo" or a living-out student during his time at Ateneo Municipal
• Fr. Jose Bech was the first professor of Jose in Ateneo
• The Jesuits' system of education encouraged competition among students
• Rizal was placed at the bottom of the class and assigned with the Carthaginians
• Student rankings within the class

  • Emperor
  • Tribune
  • Decurion
  • Centurion
  • Standard Bearer
• Students fought for positions by challenging the one holding the rank to answer questions based on the day's lesson
• Historian Universal


  • Cesar Cantu
• Count of Monte Cristo

  • Alexander Dumas
• Travels to the Philippines

  • Feodor Jagor
• Jose took private lessons in Santa Isabel College during break time to improve his knowledge of Spanish
• After a month, Rizal became the Emperor and was considered the brightest student of the class
• In his fourth year at Ateneo, Rizal was inspired to study hard and write poetry by Father Francisco de Paula Sanchez
• Rizal expressed his ideas on the value of education in his poem "Through Education the Motherland Receives Light"
• "Mi Primera Inspiracion" was a poem dedicated to his mother on her birthday
• "In Memory of My Town" was a tender poem in honor of Calamba
• "Intimate Alliance Between Religion and Good Education" shows the importance of religion in education
• "A Farewell Dialogue of the Students" was the last poem written by Rizal in Ateneo
• Rizal excelled in all subjects and won five medals at the end of the school term
• He received his degree of Bachelor of Arts with honor


  March 23, 1877
• After completing his education at Ateneo, Rizal's mother wanted him to return home and look after the family business
• Rizal, at 16 years old, enrolled at UST taking Philosophy and Letters


  April 1877
• Rizal sought guidance from Fr. Pablo Roman but since he was in Mindanao
• For his first term, Rizal studied in the Philosophy program
• In the following term, he decided to shift to Medicine
• Rizal's decision to shift to Medicine was prompted by his desire to cure his mother's failing eyesight
• Fr. Ramon advised Jose to take up Medicine
• Rizal spent time studying and returned to Ateneo to take up a land surveying course
• He completed the surveyor's course and was awarded the title of Perito Agrimensor
• Rizal experienced Spanish brutality during his first year of medical studies at UST
• One night, while walking alone, Rizal failed to recognize the Spanish civil guard passing by, leading to a confrontation
• Rizal experienced his first taste of brutality during his first year of medical studies at UST
• One night while walking alone on a dark street, Rizal failed to recognize the Spanish civil guard, who then whipped him mercilessly with a stingray tail
• Literary works of Rizal in University of Sto. Tomas

  • To the Filipino Youth
  • The Council of Gods