The Evening News. September 25, 1916..

6. School Days In The Pueblo

In the early days of the Pueblo, books were strange implements as they were throughout California. Aside from the fine library, at the Santa Clara Mission, many of the books of which had been brought from Spain and are now two or three centuries old, there was only one library in this part of California. This was owned by Jose Castro, afterwards General Castro, conspicuous in San Juan and San Jose at the time of the Mexican War.

The library passed into the hands of Mr. Castro's brother-in-law, Mariano Malarin of Santa Clara. Another excellent library at the period was owned by a scholarly Englishman named Hartnell, who had married a Spanish lady. In about 1830 Mr. Hartnell opened a school called the Seminario de San Jose at his ranch near Monterey. Here boys were received for instruction for [?]200 a year. The only other libraries in this state were owned by General Vallejo at Sonoma and by the De la Guerra Family of Santa Barbara.

Considering the scarcity of books it is not strange that [line missing].

The year 1777 must have been a happy one for children who didn't like to study. There were no schools. San Jose had an Alcalde in its early days who was unable to write. The commandant asked that one able to sign his name be imported from Santa Barbara. He was probably a curiosity. However, one must not be too critical of education in Spanish California. At that very time George Washington, a gentleman, a general and a future president, in his diary spelled "window" "winder," not only revealing his peculiarities of spelling but pronunciation.

In the 70s of the eighteenth century the children had a long holiday from school except when a mother instructed her own and neighbors' children. The Mission Fathers were too far away to teach.

However, when the Mission and the Pueblo were sixteen years old the Spanish governor took notice of the lack of schools in the province. A royal order was published requiring the establishment of a school in each Pueblo. Evidently this was thought of first for the instruction of Indians rather than that of white children. At any rate in December 1795, Manuel Vargas in a "public granery" established the first school.

The second school, seemingly the first school ever established entirely for white children, did not come into existence in the Pueblo till 1811. The first teacher was an infirm, retired Spanish corporal named Rafael Villavicuelo. He applied for the position of teaching in San Jose. The Alcalde Jose [??] Estudillo referred him to the commandant at Monterey.

The commandant gave his permission, which was very elaborate, with a great many rules and regulations. The Alcalde concurred and signed the document. A copy of that document is now buried under the corner stone of the San Jose normal school. It is written in faulty Spanish, and it reveals that the commandant himself should have gone to school.

Corporal Villaviccuclo was given the right to teach the children of the Pueblo of San Jose for six hours daily. His salary was eighteen reales ($2.25) a year for each child. The teacher was to be paid by the head of each family in grain or flour.

Children should go to school from 8 to 11 in the morning, and in the afternoon from 2 to 5.

Every Thursday and Saturday afternoon children shall not read or write. They must study the doctrine (faith). The teacher is warned that he himself is answerable for explanations of the doctrine.

When the teacher notes the absence of a pupil he must notify the father of the child. The father must give a satisfactory excuse. If the child is absent a second time the teacher must notify the commissioner. The commissioner must compel the father to send the children. No excuses will be accepted from mothers because "they will all be frivolous."

The commandant and the Alcalde favored corporal punishment for their school. The commandant was very explicit when he said "the teacher has the right to correct and punish his scholars with advice, warning and lashes in case of necessity. Particularly he ought to do it for any to learn the doctrine. For this he ought not to accept any excuse nor to pardon anyone from punishment who fails to learn it, or who does not commit to memory the lesson given."

In 1818 Antonio Bueina fitted up a new schoolroom. He complained to the Governor that a fanega of grain from each parent was not enough. In the spring of 1821, Rafael del Valle taught the Pueblo school. His salary was magnificent for those days, fifteen dollars a month.

Teachers came and went. In 1829 thirty children went to school, but no marked change took place in the school system until the American occupation of California.

(To be continued)

[Transcribers note: for more information on the San Jose Normal School see The Beginnings of San Jose State University: Laying of the Cornerstone at Washington Square on October 20, 1870

Transcribed by Claire Martin, for the Santa Clara Co. CAGenWeb Project. 2007.

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