Education

As was only natural and logical, public education in this archipelago followed roughly the same phases as in mainland Portugal, the Kingdom (reino, i.e. mainland Portugal). In its essential lines, the history of the one is the history of the other.

Higher education was represented here by the creation of the Funchal Medical-Surgical School (Escola Médico-cirúrgica do Funchal) in 1837, which came to an end in 1910 (see Medical-Surgical School). In some localities of Madeira a shortage of doctors is already being felt (1921), and it will soon be severe. Before very long, no doubt, it may again be said, as the governor and captain-general of this archipelago told the government of mainland Portugal in 1824, that on Porto Santo (‘holy harbour’) and in the Madeiran countryside there was no operating surgeon at all and that ‘one found only some wretched bloodletter, of whose competence many of those who called him to treat and cure their diseases have been the victims’. Our Medical School ought to have been reorganised in its original structure and in the range of its classes, making the teaching of the subjects taught there more effective; but the needs of the island districts did not warrant its abolition, which was due mainly, it is said, to the insistence of the director of public health, Dr Ricardo Jorge. Special education was provided here through the teaching of theology at the Diocesan Seminary, from its foundation in the last quarter of the 16th century (see seminary (Seminário)). There were also special courses in theology at the Convent of São Francisco (St Francis of Assisi) and at the Jesuit College (Colégio dos Jesuítas), for the exclusive use of their respective religious. The following may be regarded as special courses: the public class (aula) in drawing and painting, created in 1810; the drawing class that ran in this city for some years, maintained by the Funchal Municipal Council (Câmara Municipal); and the Industrial School, established in 1889. We have already given a detailed account of all of these in the article António Augusto de Aguiar Industrial School (Escola Industrial António Augusto de Aguiar). In the first quarter of the 19th century there was a course of military studies in this city, whose organisation, workings and period of existence are entirely unknown to us. Among the courses of special education we must also mention the Teacher Training School (Escola Normal) (see that entry), which lasted from 1900 to 1910, the Higher Primary School (Escola Primária Superior) (see that entry), created in 1919, and the School of Navigation (Escola de Pilotagem) (see that entry), which opened in 1914.

The first public secondary classes held here in Madeira were those the Jesuits taught at their College of São João Evangelista (St John the Evangelist) (Colégio de São João Evangelista), covering Latin, philosophy, rhetoric and literature. We do not know when they began, but they already existed in 1590, for the author of the Saudades refers to them, and they ended with the expulsion of the Jesuits in 1759. This secondary course was known as the Aulas do Pátio ('Courtyard Classes', the public secondary classes held in the former Jesuit college), because it was held in an inner courtyard that formed part of the college. The college stood in Rua do Estudo, and after the expulsion of the Jesuits some secondary classes continued to be taught in the same building under the same name of Aulas do Pátio. It was also in this building that the lyceum (state secondary school) of this city was established in 1837 (see the Lyceum (Liceu)), and it remained there for about 50 years. We cannot say exactly how much time passed between the expulsion of the Jesuits and the resumption of the Aulas do Pátio, nor can we tell whether these courses ran without interruption until our lyceum was established. In 1772 public classes in philosophy, Latin, mathematics and rhetoric were created, and around 1825 classes in French and English (see Secondary classes). Everything suggests that these were created to make up for the loss of the classes taught by the Jesuits, and it must then be accepted that there was a break in these courses in the period from 1759 to 1772.

For primary education, see the article primary schools (Escolas Primárias), where the subject is dealt with in some detail.