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Joshean R. Javier

Grade 7 Matalino

HISTORY OF ISNHS

The advent of the American eriod sa! the "ro!th of rimar# schools offerin" free

ed$cation in the !hole archiela"o. This !as an offshoot of %&'% Act No.7( of the )hiliine

*ommission installin" a hi"hl# centrali+ed $,lic school s#stem. Necessaril#- this $shered the

need to train rimar# school teachers. So in %&'- the Ilocano Normal School !as esta,lished

thro$"h Act No. /7 of the )hiliine *ommission.

The school0s earl# ,e"innin"s are traced to the old 1i"an Seminar#- !here the first ,atch

%' male and / female st$dents attended classes. The strict moral norms then dictated the

se"re"ation of the se2es so that there !ere t!o searate classes. *o3ed$cation !as event$all#

introd$ced !hen st$dent attendance d!indled. No re4$irements !ere imosed $on those !ho

!anted to enroll ,efore a s#stem of "radin" and classification !as introd$ced in %&'(.

In the co$rse of time- a "ro!in" enrollment romted the constr$ction of a ne! ,$ildin"-

!hich no! ho$ses the 5o6a Gre"oria Rivera Memorial i,rar#. The ,$ildin" !hich !as finished

and ina$"$rated on Fe,r$ar# - %&'8- ho$sed the first $,lic hi"h school in Ilocos S$r- the

1i"an Hi"h School. It too9 the school si2 #ears- ho!ever- to esta,lish a second #ear class in

%&':. S$,se4$entl#- t!elve st$dents ,ecame the first "rad$ates of the school in %&%.

;ith the contin$o$s increase in o$lation- a ,i""er area !as needed. The rovincial

"overnment in the late %&'s ac4$ired ei"ht hectares of land at the ;est side of the to!n of

1i"an. On this lace- the school fo$nd its ermanent home in the form of a concrete str$ct$re in

%&/'.

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The $rchase of an additional lot in %&8/ led to the e2ansion of the school area. In %&8:-

a ne! str$ct$re called National Heroes Memorial 7 d$rin" the time of Mr. Macario Feste?o as rincial.

For a,o$t 8 #ears since its ,e"innin"- the school !as ta23s$orted. Those times- the

first )hiliine *ommission- the Sch$rman *ommission- recommended free ed$cation. The

Ins$lar "overnment aid for the teacher0s salaries and e4$iment e2enses. Ho!ever- financial

s$ort !as event$all# discontin$ed. *onse4$entl#- the rovincial "overnment had to collect

t$ition and other fees startin" in %&/ to finance school oerations. The earliest recollection of

t$ition fees !as ).8' er #ear in %&/> and thro$"h the #ears- the fees increased d$e to the risin"

cost of ed$cation. On Setem,er &- %&:8- the ann$al t$ition fee of )7'.'' and matric$lation fee

of ).'' resectivel#- increased to )%8'.'' and )8.'' as er re"ional 5=*S Memo >(. Ho!ever-

char"in" of the fees !as discontin$ed since the imlementation of the ne! %&:7 )hiliine

*onstit$tion that mandated a s#stem of free $,lic ed$cation in the elementar# and hi"h school

levels.

In %&(%- classes !ere s$sended !hen the Jaanese invaded the )hiliines at the

o$t,rea9 of ;orld ;ar II and event$all# occ$ied Ilocos S$r on 5ecem,er %'. These !ere

res$med in J$ne %&(/- onl# to ,e a,orted in 5ecem,er %&(( d$e to lac9 of st$dent attendance.

*lasses finall# too9 off in Ma# %&(8. St$dents !ho !ere then in their senior #ear in 5ecem,er

%&(% !ere considered "rad$ates and comrised *lass %&(. Those in the lo!er #ears !ere

romoted to the ne2t #ear level and !ere not re4$ired as !ell to comlete the three months of

schoolin" the# missed d$rin" the !ar. The first ,atch of st$dents to finish hi"h school after the!ar "rad$ated in %&(>.