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Rizal's Struggles at UST and Higher Education

Rizal enrolled at the University of Santo Tomas in 1877 at age 16, taking up Philosophy and Letters at first due to his father's preference for that program and his own uncertainty about his career path. He later switched to studying medicine in 1878 due to a recommendation from Father Pablo Ramon. Rizal found the atmosphere at UST suffocating as the Dominican friars were hostile towards him, Filipino students faced racial discrimination, and the teaching methods were obsolete. After finishing his fourth year of medical studies, Rizal decided to study abroad in Spain due to the rampant bigotry and discrimination at UST.

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Regine Palconan
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117 views2 pages

Rizal's Struggles at UST and Higher Education

Rizal enrolled at the University of Santo Tomas in 1877 at age 16, taking up Philosophy and Letters at first due to his father's preference for that program and his own uncertainty about his career path. He later switched to studying medicine in 1878 due to a recommendation from Father Pablo Ramon. Rizal found the atmosphere at UST suffocating as the Dominican friars were hostile towards him, Filipino students faced racial discrimination, and the teaching methods were obsolete. After finishing his fourth year of medical studies, Rizal decided to study abroad in Spain due to the rampant bigotry and discrimination at UST.

Uploaded by

Regine Palconan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

In the University of Santo up Philosophy and Letters.

He
Tomas enrolled in this program for two
reasons: (1) his father liked it and
Mother’s view of higher
(2) he was “still uncertain on
education
what career to pursue”.
After graduating with highest
He had written Father Pablo
honors from Ateneo, Rizal had to
Ramon, Rector of Ateneo, asking
go the University of Santo Tomas
for advice on what course to
to prepare himself for a career.
take. Unfortunately, Fr. Ramon
The Bachelor of Arts degree he was in Mindanao. During those
acquired from Ateneo was days, it would take a letter from
equivalent to a secondary Manila several months to reach
diploma today. It merely qualified Mindanao. Consequently, during
its holder to enter a university. his first term (1877-78), Rizal had
to take the other program-
Don Francisco and Paciano Philosophy and Letters. It was
wanted Jose to pursue higher
learning but Doña Teodora only during the school term
opposed the idea. (1878-79) that Rizal took up
medicine.
She believed that too much
The reasons why he studied
knowledge was detrimental to
medicine were:
her child. She knew the fate of
Filipino intellectuals who were 1. He wanted to be a physician
either executed or exiled by the so that he may cure his mother’s
Spanish authorities. Doña failing eyes.
Teodora blamed higher learning
for the patriots’ sad fate. 2. Fr. Ramon answered his letter
and recommended medicine.
She warned her husband. “Do
not send Jose to Manila again. If Rizal established the secret
he gets to know too much, they society Compañerismo whose
will cut off his head!” members were called
Companions of Jehu. The
Rizal enters the university organization countered the racial
discrimination inflicted by
In 1877, Rizal, who was barely
Spanish students on Filipino
16 years old, enrolled in the
students.
University of Santo Tomas taking
Surveying course in Ateneo Rizal’s Poems when he was
(1878) studying in UST

While studying in UST, Rizal also To the Filipino Youth- won first
studied in Ateneo taking a prize in a literary contest
vocational course leading to the Servant of the Mighty One
The Council of the Gods- won
title Perito Agrimensor (Expert
first prize but the Spanish
Surveyor). community in Manila
Unhappy days in UST protested and disapproved of
Rizal receiving the award just
Rizal, Ateneo’s boy wonder, because he was an indio.
found the atmosphere in UST Beside the Pasig
To the Philippines
suffocating. He was unhappy in
To M.R.P. Pablo Ramon, Rector
the Dominican institution of the Ateneo, in Their Days
because:

1. the Dominican friars were


hostile to him,

2. the Filipino students were


racially discriminated, and

3. the methods of teachings were


obsolete and repressive.

Decision to study abroad

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. His uncle,
Antonio Rivera, Leonor’s father,
encourage him to go abroad.
Both Paciano and Saturnina,
whom he contacted secretly,
were of similar opinion.

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