Puerto Rico Language Policy Timeline

  • Year 1898

    Year 1898
    The U.S. troops took over Puerto Rico. Dr. John Eaton and Dr. Victor Clark estblished that Puerto Rican teachers needed to be prepared in English in order to be taken into consideration for an educational position.
  • Years 1900-1902

    Years 1900-1902
    Department of Public Instruction was created. Its' language policy established that Spanish language was to be kept and the English Language would be acquired. Special emphasis was given to the American culture.
  • Years 1902 - 1904

    Years 1902 - 1904
    The use of English was incremented in Public Schools. The vision was to make English the offical language of Puerto Rico. Teachers were sent to the United States to be prepared as English teachers.
  • Years 1905 - 1913

    Years 1905 - 1913
    English was imposed as the language of Instruction. There is a mandatory program for teacher preparation & qualification. A separatist movement resulted as opposition to this language imposition.
  • Year 1913

    Year 1913
    Spanish was used to teach health & hygiene and literature in first grade only.
  • Years 1916-1934

    Years 1916-1934
    Spanish was used to teach grades first through fourth grade and Spanish & English were used to teach from fifth through eight grade given the same proportion of instruction time.
  • Years 1921-1930

    Years 1921-1930
    Instruction Comissioner Juan B. Huyke established English as the main language of teaching. Teacher & students had to use English in and out of the classrooms. Texts had to be in English. Assimilation was at its highest point.
  • Year 1930

    Year 1930
    Spanish struggled to be impemented as the only langauge of instruction. English was proposed as a second language. Bilingual education was proposed only if it was ajusted to the needs of Puerto Ricans.
  • Year 1936

    Year 1936
    Bilingual programs were unsuccesfully implemented. Protests against assimilation didn't allow it.
  • Year 1949

    Year 1949
    Spanish was established as the means of instruction in all grades, from first grade through twelve grade.
  • Year 1970

    Year 1970
    Program "Educacion Bilingue" was established to attend the needs of students who migrate from the U.S. to Puerto Rico.
  • Years 1972-1976

    Years 1972-1976
    Bilingual Projects were implemented in two schools: Padre Rufo and Papa Juan XXIII.
  • Years 1980-1984

    Years 1980-1984
    Bilingual programs transferred to the English Department. The bilingual education certification program was established but not completely put to practice.
  • Years 1988-1992

    Years 1988-1992
    Four proyects are created for teacher as second language due to a great number of migrant students back in Puerto Rican schools.
  • Year 1993

    Year 1993
    A director was assigned to the Bilingual Program.
  • Year 2012

    Year 2012
    An initiative "Generacion Bilingue" was created for students from kindergarten through second grade in most public school of Puerto Rico.