The San Fernando High School,
the given name of La Union High School when it
opened its doors on January 19, 1903 to fifty-five
students, was the first secondary school established
in La Union during the administration of Senor
Joaquin Ortega, the first civil governor of the
province. Classes then were held in buildings made
of stones.
The first teachers of the school
were American soldiers who were later replaced by
the Thomasites. Mr. J. W. Johnson was the first
school principal. In 1914, Filipino teachers were
appointed, however, Americans remained at the
administration's helm. It was only in 1923, when the
first Filipino principal, Cecilio Putong, assumed
responsibility over the administration of the
school. The "La Union TAB," second oldest high
school paper in the country, was born in 1924 when
Gabino Tabunar was principal. During World War II,
classes were suspended from 1943-45 during which
time the school was used as the provincial garrison
of the Japanese Imperial Army. After the war, the La
Union High School was transferred to Bacnotan, La
Union together with the provincial government. In
1948, classes were re-opened and this paved way for
the establishment to the North Provincial High
School in Bacnotan and the South Provincial High
School in Agoo.
In 1977, the school was
nationalized, but not after its solid foundations
had been laid by the provincial government. And it
was now called the La Union National High School.
The school curricula have kept pace with the demands
of the times. In 1979, the school opened its Special
Science Stream Classes (now Special Science) for
students who excelled in science and mathematics. It
also opened evening classes to allow working
students to continue their studies through a
five-year high school program, where classes are
from 5:00 to 9:00 P.M. daily and whole day of
Saturday. In 1998, the Special Education High School
was opened for special children. In 1999 the Sports
class program was opened to provide opportunity for
sports inclined students to go to the sports of
their choice without missing their academics. The
Easy and Affordable Education (EASE) was introduced
to allow students who do not have the opportunity to
report to their classrooms everyday and are given
modules to be done at home.
Today, the La Union National
High School continues to nourish and nurture the
community with its six curricula: Regular, Special,
Science, Evening, Sports, and EASE. The school has
come a long way to reach its 1Oath founding year. It
has withstood the test of time and as it marches on
to the future, it will continue to be the school for
the common "tao" (person).
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