Negros Occidental High School
| Negros Occidental High School | |
|---|---|
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| Location | |
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Bacolod City, Negros Occidental Philippines |
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| Information | |
| Type | Public |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Non Partisan |
| Established | 1 July 1902 (115 years and 24 days) |
| Principal | Mario S. Amaca |
| Campus | Urban |
| Color(s) | |
| Nickname | Provincial High School |
Negros Occidental High School is a public secondary educational institution in Bacolod City in the province of Negros Occidental, in the Philippines. The school currently offers various curriculum: Special Program in Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) for the Special Science Class, Basic Education Curriculum for the Regular Class, Special Program for the Arts, Special Class in Culture and Sports and the Basic Education Curriculum for the Night Class.
The foundation for the establishment of a Provincial High School in Negros Occidental was already laid in 1901 by the Division Superintendent, George W. Beattie, so that when Act 372 of the Philippine Commission was passed on March 7, 1901, empowering the Provincial Boards of the country to provide funds for the erection or renting and other expenses for a secondary school in the province, Beattie was ready for implementation of the plan, including the hiring of teachers in time for the opening of the school on July 1, 1902.
Sometime in 1902, former leaders of the Republica de Negros, Ex-minister of Justice Antonio Ledesma Jayme and Ex-provincial Governor Melecio Severino exerted efforts for the opening of a secondary school in Occidental Negros which they named Instituto Rizal, now Negros Occidental High School. The Rizal Elementary School was first founded in Bacolod City as "Instituto de Rizal" by Severino and Jayme. However Severino was an avowed nationalist, and was still governor of the province until May 1, 1901 so that his role in the creation of the school was important. Jayme was Severino's rival for governor on the election of 1899, and his house was rented for the first classrooms and dormitories for the Institute. It is possible that they were instrumental in helping the Division Superintendent and in naming the school Instituto Rizal.
By the opening of the school in 1902, there were three teachers and 125 students taking academic and normal courses in Instituto Rizal.
The establishment of the Instituto Rizal was not smooth. As of June 1902, only the Provincial Treasurer of the Provincial Board was favorable to the school idea but the Governor (Leandro Locsin) was "indifferent and the supervisor was avowed hostile". However the idea of a high school was pushed through because the supervisor was not a member of the Provincial Board and the Treasurer was an American who held sway in the Provincial Board.
Instituto Rizal was renting two spacious buildings for classrooms and separate dormitories for boy and girls who reside outside Bacolod City. Mr. Ray Howell was the school principal. By July 1903, Instituto Rizal had already four teachers with an average attendance of 166 students, an increase of 100 as compare to the attendance of the previous year. The school was closed from September 7 to November 10, 1902 because of a cholera epidemic.
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Wikipedia