At the time, Spain felt its farthest colony needed, not costly military force, but the Jesuits. The military could conquer, but only the missionaries could win hearts. In 1859, the Jesuits were back in the country, and people were not disappointed.
Manila had a primary school for boys, but inadequate funds hobbled it. The Jesuits’ arrival brightened the day, and the city burghers pressured the Ayuntamiento to pressure the Governor General to pressure the Jesuits to give life to the floundering school.
Of course, the Jesuit Superior could not change their instructions to evangelize the hill tribes in Mindanao and adjacent islands. But they also saw the need for a good school.
The young, they thought, did not receive any religious instruction, and the Jesuits could provide an academic program for those who aspired neither to the priesthood nor to a law career. More than the decrepit primary, the Jesuit curriculum would include the theory and practice of the Christian Faith, the rules of etiquette and good upbringing, emphasize Catholic teachings and a style of life expected of a practicing Catholic.
Grabbing a hint, the Governor General accepted all responsibility for changing the Jesuits’ orders. On Dec. 10,1859, the school, renamed "Escuela municipal de Manila," began classes to only 10 boys who came. By August, there were 210.
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