instruction in distinct departments, under women. As a rule, they were sent to convents, there to be trained chiefly in feminine accomplishments.[1]
The Jesuits exercised a great influence in favor of public instruction. Their method of teaching was admired, and aid was readily granted them by citizens for establishing colleges. They had enemies, however, who first restricted and finally drove them away. They early established four colleges at Mexico, notably the San Pedro y San Pablo, all of which were by the second decade of the seventeenth century merged into one, under the name of San Ildefonso. Nevertheless, the Jesuits continued their efforts, and at the time of their expulsion in 1767 possessed twenty-three colleges, and a number of seminaries in different provinces, only a portion of which were reopened under other teachers.
The example of the Jesuits was followed by others, and several colleges and seminaries were the result of it. Still, quite a number of provinces were devoid of facilities for anything above elementary training. At Mexico there were in 1790 eight colleges for males, only two of which fell under control of friars.[2]
The deficiency of high schools has been glossed over by directing attention to the founding of the university. Mendoza, the first viceroy, left property for its establishment; and during the rule of the elder
- ↑ There were six so-called colleges for females at Mexico. Alaman, notwithstanding his Spanish tendencies, contradicts the writers who extol Spain's efforts on behalf of female education. The fact is, that for a long time but one public school for girls existed. Arrangoiz, Méj, iii., ap. 87; Pacheco and Cárdenas, Col. Doc., vi. 488. Even the classes gradually opened by nuns were few, and devoted only too frequently to religious training, sewing, and the like, without even learning to read. As late as 1795 the pope and king ordered the convents to more freely receive girls of good families for care and education. Cedulario, MS., iii. 23–6. Nuns de la Enseñanza devoted themselves specially to training girls; but their efforts were limited. 'Torres, Sermon; Arteaga, Josias', pt ll. For Indian girls of noble birth there was a real colegio; but it was really an informal convent, Alegre, Hist. Comp. Jesus, iii. 294, like a few other so-called colegios.
- ↑ Their names were the Santos, Seminario, San Ildefonso, San Juan de Letran, Infantes, San Ramon, Santiago, Tlatelolco, and San Gregorio. The total number of students was somewhat over 600, a small figure, indeed, for the leading city of the continent. Gac., Mex., v. 8; Estalla, xxvii. 260; Cabrera, Escudos Armas, 200.
