Claudio Matte
Claudio Matte Pérez (18 December 1858 – 20 December 1956) was a Chilean educator, lawyer and politician.
He developed the , an instructional text for teaching reading and writing, and served as president of the Sociedad de Instrucción Primaria. He was also a member of the Chamber of Deputies of Chile, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Worship and Colonization, and Rector of the University of Chile.
Early life
Matte was born in Santiago on 18 December 1858 to and Rosario Pérez Vargas. He studied at the Instituto Nacional and later law at the University of Chile, graduating as a lawyer in 1879.
He married Elvira Hurtado Concha, with whom he had seven children.
In 1881, Matte traveled to Europe, where he studied methods of primary education used in countries including France, Germany, Sweden and the United Kingdom. While in Leipzig in 1884, he studied pedagogy and teaching methodology and prepared the first edition of his Nuevo método fonético, analítico-sintético para la enseñanza simultánea de la lectura y escritura, subsequently known as the Silabario Matte.
Educational career
Matte's teaching method used a phonetic, analytic and synthetic approach to reading and writing. The textbook began to be used experimentally in Chile during the 1880s. Matte sent copies to the Sociedad de Instrucción Primaria and transferred the copyright to the organization in 1889.
The Silabario Matte was adopted as an official primary-school instructional text in Chile in 1894 and was subsequently used in schools elsewhere in Latin America.
In 1892, Matte became president of the Sociedad de Instrucción Primaria, an organization devoted to primary education. He remained its president until his death in 1956. During his tenure, he financed the construction of six schools.
Matte also advocated the inclusion of manual work, domestic economy, industrial drawing and physical education in primary-school curricula. He was involved in initiatives promoting school commemorations and activities related to environmental education.
Political and public career
In addition to his educational activities, Matte held several public and institutional positions. He became president of the Fine Arts Commission in 1888 and joined the Faculty of Philosophy and Humanities of the University of Chile in 1892.
In 1894, Matte entered the Chamber of Deputies of Chile, representing Llanquihue, Carelmapu and Osorno during the 1894–1897 legislative period.
In 1895, he served as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Worship and Colonization. He also held positions related to primary education, including director of primary instruction and vice president of the Council of Primary Instruction.
Matte supported the introduction of compulsory primary education in Chile, a policy eventually established through the Compulsory Primary Education Law of 1920.
In April 1926, Matte was elected Rector of the University of Chile. He resigned in April 1927 during a government-led reorganization of the university. He was succeeded by Carlos Charlín Correa.
Matte died in Santiago on 20 December 1956, two days after his 98th birthday.
See also
- Education in Chile
- Matte family