Resumen de Catedráticos in the making of the Spanish secondary education system, 1861–1885
The study of secondary education teachers in nineteenth-century Spain has traditionally been undertaken from the perspective of specific individuals or high schools. However, national sources about this body of public servants have not been exploited in a systematic manner, thus impeding the attainment of aggregate perspectives. This paper provides such overview using the promotion rosters of secondary teachers in Spain of years 1861, 1876, and 1885. In particular, we provide a detailed analysis of the total number of teachers, their years of experience, the subjects they taught, and how they were distributed among provinces. Our results are consistent with those provided by the literature: the consolidation of secondary education as an educational stage in nineteenth-century Spain implied an increase in the number of teachers and subjects taught. Even so, we are able to provide new insights on how this process materialised in the body of secondary teachers.
