THEORIES AND PRACTICES OF SECONDARY SCHOOL ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION IN THE REPUBLIC OF COLOMBIA DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University HECTOR G. VALENCIA-Y.n, B.A., A.M. n The Ohio State University 1953 Approved by Adviser ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Hearty thanks are hereby extended to Dr. D. H. Eikenberry, who for three years has advised and encouraged the author in his work at The Ohio State University. His willingness at all times to give so unstintingly of his time and energy is greatly appreciated. Grateful acknowledgment is also due to Dr. H. Gordon Hull fish, Dr. James B. Tharp, and Dr. Roscoe H. Eckelberry, professors in the College of Education at The Ohio State University, for reading the manuscript of this work and offering suggestions for its improvement. Without their guidance and encouragement the tank would have been much more difficult. This dissertation is dedicated to my -wife, Mary. She has been a constant inspiration and help in the composition and editing of it. A QC146 TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page I. Introduction ........... ............ 1 II. Contemporary Colombia— Its People and Their Institutions ........ ....... ....................... 8 A. Physical Features .................................. 8 B. Outside Influences ............. .................... 9 1. Spanish Influence ............... ............ 12 2. French Influence ............ .......... ......... 15 3. British Influence ............................... 17 4. German Influence..... .......... ............... 18 5# Influence of the United States of America.. ...... 19 C. Humanism and Illiteracy .................... 22 D. Social and Economic Status— High and L o w ........... 26 1. Classes According to Income ...................... 27 2. Social Status....... ......................... 28 E . Church and State ............ ............... 29 F. Politics and Government..... 37 III. Historical Development of Public and Private Education •• 43 A. The Cultural Heritage— Spain at the Time of the Discovery of America ....... 43 B. The Development of Educational Institutions in the New Kingdom of Granada of the Sixteenth Century •. 47 C. The Beginnings of Secondary Education in the Seventeenth Century .... 56 D . The Eventful Eighteenth Century ....... 65 E. Concept of Organization and Administration of Schools in Colonial Times .......... 80 IV. Historical Development of Public and Private Education: Period of the Early Republic (1810-1840) .. 88 A • The Consolidation of Independence ........ 91 B. Beginning of the Public School System 93 C. Basic Laws of Public Education ..... 97 D. The Introduction of the Lancastrian Method...... 101 E. The French Educational Mission ..... 108 F. The Educational Law of 1826 ..... 109 G. Educational Counter Reforms of Simon Bolivar ........• 112 H. Education in New Granada Under Santander's Administration .......... 114 .V. Historical Development of Public and Private Education: The Modern Period (1840-1952) ••••••••.... 120 A. The Federalist Period: 1840-1886 •••••••••••••••.•••.. 120 B. Period of the Concordat 128 C. Educational Theories and Practices: 1887-1930 ••••••.. 130 iii Chapter Page 1. The Organic Law of 1903 ...... 130 2. The First Pedagogical Congress ............... 135 3. Protestant Private Education...... 136 4. The Second German Educational Mission........... 138 D, Educational Theories and Practices: 1930-1952 ........ 141 1 • Elementary Education ................ 142 2. Teacher Training ............ 146 3. Secondary Education ........................ 147 4. Hi gher Education . 149 5. Summary of Improvements ............... 150 E. Development of the Organization and Administration of Schools ..... .... 151 i/I. Present Organization and Administration of Secondary Schools ••••••••..••••..... 153 A. Orientation of Secondary Education in Colombia ........ 153 B. The national System of Secondary Schools ............. 153 1. The Ministry of Education ......................... 166 2. The Departmental Secretariats..... 158 3. The Municipal Organization ..... •••••..... 158 4. Types of Secondary Schools ....... 160 a. University-Preparatory ..... 160 b. Vocational ..... 160 (1) Commercial Schools ........ 161 (2) Agricultural Schools ...... 161 (3) Trade Schools .... ••...••••••• 163 (4) Industrial Schools 163 c. Normal Schools ........ 166 d. Other Schools ..... 167 5. Integration ••••••••. ........ 167 6. Dual System of Schools ....... 171 7. Private Schools ........ 172 8. The School Year ..... 173 9• Extension of Secondary Education 173 10. Size and Location of Secondary Schools ...... 177 11 . Financial Support of Secondary Schools ............ 178 B. The Local School ...... 179 1. The Administrative Staff ••••.••••••••............ 179 a* Duties of the Administrative Staff ••••••••....... 181 b. Organization of the Administrative Staff •.••.•••• 182 c. Salaries of Administrators .... 183 2. The Faculty ..... 183 a. Preparation of the Faculty ...... 184 b« Selection, Appointment, and Dismissal of Teachers. 184 c. Teaching Load and Other Responsibilities ..••••... 185 d. Salaries and Social Security 186 e. Evaluation of the Teacher’s hWork .•.••.•••........ J.88 f. Organization of the Faculty • 189 iv Chapter Page 3. Organization for Learning 190 a. Schedule ..................................... 190 b* Grouping, Promotion, and Graduation ......... 191 c. Extra-curricular Activities ..... 192 d. Guidance 193 e. Pupil-Teacher Relationships ............... 193 f. Teaching Method ..... 194 4. The School Plant 195 a. Facilities ..... 195 b. Use of the School Plant ........... 196 c. Administration of the School P l a n t ........... 197 "VII. Evaluation of the Present Organization and Administration of Secondary Schools and Proposed Plan for Reorganization 198 A. Factors Adverse to Educational Progress ••....••..••• 198 1. Geographical Factors 198 2. Economic Factors .... 199 3. Social Factors ...... .....••..... 199 B. Factors Favorable to Educational Progress ..... 202 C. The Task of* Education Today ...... 204 1. Liberation of the Human Personality...... 205 2. Social Responsibility ........ 207 3. The Principle of Differentiation .... 208 4. The Principle Of Activity..... 210 D. The Task of the Secondary School •••••.......... 211 E. The Task of the Administration ..••••••............. 212 F. Proposed Plan for Reorganization ..... 214 1. At the National Level 214 a. Professionalization of the Ministry of Education and Other Agencies in the Educational System .... ••...... 214 b. Separation of Church and State ............ 216 (1) Secularization of Public Schools ...... 219 (2) Abolition of the Dual System of Schools ... 222 c. Appropriation of Funds for Secondary Education .... 224 d. The Need for the Study of the Problem of Integration 227 e. Formation of Educational Associations .... 228' f. The Preparation of Administrators and Teachers .... 230 2. The Local School ..... 232 a • The Administrative Staff .... 233 , b. The Faoulty ...... 233 (1) Evaluation of the Teachers1 Work ....... 234 (2) In-Service Training ....... 235 v Chapter Page c. Organization of the Staff and the Faculty .... 236 (1) Committee on Cultural Activities........ 236 (2) Committee on Guidance ................... 237 (3) Committee on Improvement of Teaching ..... 238 (4) Committee on Physical Education......... 239 (5) Committee on Public Relations ........... 240 (6) Coordinating Committee .... 240 3. Organization for Learning ................... 240 a. Promotion .............. 241 b. Extra-curricular Activities .......... 243 4. The School Plant ............................ 246 VIII. Summary of Conclusions and Recommendations .............. 249 A. Summary of Conclusions ..... 249 B. Summary of Recommendations .... 253 C. Administrative Reforms ............... 255 D. A Final Word ...................... 260 Bibliography ............. 262 Autobiography .............. 270 vi f LIST OF MAPS, DIAGRAMS, AND TABLES Page Maps The New Kingdom of Granada in 1 7 1 7 ....... 48 Diagrams Diagram I : Diagram Showing the Ideological Differences and Similarities of the Liberal and Conservative Political Parties in Colombia ................... 41 Diagram II: The System of School Administration at the End of the Colonial Period (1810) ........... 87 Diagram III: Organization of the Ministry of Education in 1952 ............... 159 Tables Table It Chart of the Public Schools for Boys and Girls that Existed at the End of the Year 1834 in New Granada, Distinguishing Between Those of the Lancastrian and the Old Method, and Number of Students that were Educated in them ••.••••••••....• 118 Table II: Chart Which Shows the Number of Universities, Schools, and Houses of Public Education Existing in the Republic, and the Courses and Students that are in these Establishments, Figured According to the Data Sent to this Office 119 Table III: Curriculum of the University-Preparatory Schools in Colombia in 1952 ....... 162 '■s' Table IV: Curricula of the Commercial Secondary Schools in 1952 .... 164 Table Vt Three-year Curriculum of the Rural Normal Schools in 1952 168 Table VI: Six-year Curriculum of the Regular Normal Scho.ols in 1952 •••••.•••............ ••••• 169 Table VII: Number of Secondary Schools in Colombia in 1946 .... 175 vii Page Table VIIIt Number of Students Attending Secondary Schools in 1946 ... 175 Table IX* Number of Students in Public and Pri-v»te Secondary Schools, Classified According to Sex, 1946 ........... ..................................