The educational system in the Philippines took over 3 and a half centuries to develop after the Spanish colonized the islands. The Spanish friars first introduced parochial schools modeled after those used in Europe during the Dark Ages. In 1591, Governor Dasmarinas ordered that taxes from land grants be used to support schools, though the friars taught in native dialects rather than Spanish. The early schools run by friars were simple primary schools focused on religious instruction, not graded systems, and were governed by the friars with little oversight. Formal schools began emerging in the 18th and 19th centuries focused on subjects like artillery, navigation, commerce, and the arts.