2022 a Bicentennial year between Mexico and Great Britain, historically united in favour of education.
By Ricardo Antonio López-Portillo y Lancaster-Jones
On September 16th 1825 Mexico’s proclamation of independence was celebrated for the first time. Guadalupe Victoria, the Mexican President at that time said ‘The anniversary of Liberty is celebrated today, receive it in the name of our fatherland, and remember that you are free so you can honour and defend it’. It was a euphoric moment knowing and believing in the power to direct our own destiny.
The first countries to recognise Mexico’s independence were Great Britain and the United States. Immediately following independence, business and banking contacts began between the young Republic and London, which was the leading commercial, banking and insurance centre in the world. Britain made a contribution to Mexico’s economic growth, prosperity and education.
As a Federal Republic, Mexico had to have a system of education, for now that it was free from Spain’s guardianship another fight began –this time against ignorance.
Promoted by a Mexican civil society, known as the Lancasterian Company, the first school in Mexico opened its doors on September 1st 1822, using such educational system, the school was called 'El Sol' (the Sun), located in the building that, following the teaching tradition, today occupies the current the School of Medicine -Palacio de la Escuela de Medicina- (former building of the Palace of the Holy Inquisition), in the Plaza de Santo Domingo, Mexico City.
By November 1822, the 'El Sol' School had more than 250 students. In 1823 the government ceded to the Lancastrian Company the building of the ex-Betlemites, where the famous school called ‘Philanthropy’ opened its doors. In 1826, the Congress adopted the Lancasterian mutual system in the curriculum.
Other world rulers thought the same; George III in Great Britain, Tsar Alexander I in Russia, Simon Bolivar in Great Colombia, James Monroe in the USA, Ferdinand VII in Spain, etc.
All of them adopted the Lancasterian system of education, created by an Englishman, Joseph Lancaster (1778-1838). This system enjoyed of great success, being detailed in its organization and practice and with a programme of step-by-step progressions in each discipline, as well as its low cost of implementation.
The Marquis de La Fayette (1757-1834) said in the Legislative Chamber of France: “Now, gentlemen, the Lancasterian System is, since the invention of printing, the greatest step which has been made for the extension of prompt, easy and popular instruction”.
The work of Lancaster was translated into French and published bt the Duke de Rochefoucauld-Liancourt (1747-1827): “The Lancasterian System of Education” or 'Système d'Instrucción Anglais', thus reorganizing the schools of France.
Teachers trained the more advanced students in each class to be monitors and to assist their companions in learning. It is estimated that an 8-years-old of average ability could learn to read, write and perform basic sums in two years. Schools for girls were also opened, including vocational training and simple methods of teaching sewing.
In England, free education financed by government or generous patrons such as royalty, bishops and ordinary citizens benefited thousands of children who came from poor backgrounds. When Joseph Lancaster and his family stayed in Caracas he had interviews with some Mexican diplomats: Colonel Jose Anastasio Torres (Commerce Attaché) and Ignacio Basarde, official at the Embassy. Lancaster was told of the Lancasterian Company founded in Mexico to promote his system. By the end of 1824 Lancaster and Basarde convinced Richard M. Jones (married to Elizabeth Lancaster’s only daughter Elizabeth) to go to Mexico City and impart his knowledge and experience of the Lancasterian System to Schools in the town. He and his wife arrived in September 1825.
In the same year, President Victoria gave his protection to the Lancasterian Company (founded in Mexico in 1822), recommending it to the Congress of the Union. At the invitation of Prisciliano Sanchez, Governor of Jalisco, Richard and Elizabeth went to the state capital Guadalajara to oversee the running of the Lancasterian school there. their sons were born and educated in Mexico, illustrious members of their generation: Alfonso Lancaster-Jones (b. 1841), lawyer, lyric and dramatic poet, Adolfo Lancaster-Jones (b. 1839), killed in action in a battle against the French intervention, Ricardo Lancaster-Jones (b.1831) banker and industrialist.
An important part of the Lancasterian System were the schools for teachers which taught methods of uniform education, although teachers had the freedom of teaching according to their own judgements and methods. From 1870 onwards almost all states had normative schools enabling teachers to be trained professionally in the Lancasterian System. From 1890 the federal Government took over these schools although some remained in existence outside Jalisco until the beginning of the 20th century. The Lancasterian system was used in almost all countries of the world, contributing to the education of millions of children and liberating them from ignorance.
The celebration of the historical educational exchange between Mexico and the United Kingdom is an inspiration and will hopefully provide more diffusion to the joint educational work, which has formed a historically strong and positive bond between both nations.