By: Ocean-Leigh Peters, Tomalyn Young and Leanne Fancy “It was in fact a matter of pride that English Women had so quickly become the most literate and refined of any nation on earth” – Miller Women’s Education “Self Improvement”

 Depended on the governess and the teachers  Unsystematic and haphazard  Private libraries  Practical education to prepare them for mother and wifehood  Boarding schools BASIC EDUCATION FOR YOUNG LADIES

In 1770 at St. Anne’s College the curriculum for women consisted of:  Studying the Bible  Training in accounting and household management  Translation practice in French and English  Botany  Geology  Astronomy  Geography  Study of history, particularly the British Empire BASIC EDUCATION FOR YOUNG LADIES CONT…

 Education was based on sexual differences  Classical and non-classical education  Men were considered smarter than women Boys received better books than girls “The very structure of a woman’s mind renders her incapable of profound thought and careful reasoning”- John Bennett BOY’S EDUCATION VS. GIRL’S EDUCATION

 Day Boarders: meals were provided  Day Scholars: provided their own meals  Schooling equaled social advancement and marriage for young ladies  Fees: basic fees were pounds, cheaper schools were pounds  More money, more education BOARDING SCHOOLS

 SPCK: Society for the Propagation of Christian Knowledge  Education for the poor  “Object of Charity”  Girls curriculum: knitting stocking and school uniforms, embroidery, ironing, laundry duties, cleaning the school rooms, and the fundamental rules of arithmetic.  “Housewifery” education CHARITY SCHOOLS

 Wait lists  St. James Westminster, St. Anne’s, Cripplegate Ward School, St. Saviors CHARITY SCHOOLS CONT…

1 st Degree: for the nobility  Take place at home or in expensive boarding schools  Should have the best education  Girls were encouraged to support charities and improve their mind  No educational topic was off limits A lady from the nobility should: “devote her time, her talents, and her fortune to the improvement of public morals, and the increase of public happiness” - Miller PRISCILLA WAKEFIELD’S EDUCATION PROPOSAL

2 nd Degree: the wealthy middle class  Day or domestic education for young ladies  Cooking, medicine, dressmaking, infant rearing, arithmetic, English, bookkeeping, and drawing  Once married should/would study her husband business  Interest in charities like noble women PRISCILLA WAKEFIELD’S EDUCATION PROPOSAL CONT…

3 rd Degree  Day schools to learn reading, writing, arithmetic, history and needlework  Taught modesty, humility, and sobriety  Earn their own living 4 th Degree: the laboring poor  Charity, Sunday or Industrial schools  Practical education for their class PRISCILLA WAKEFIELD’S EDUCATION PROPOSAL CONT…

 Born: April 27, 1759  Died: September 10, 1797  Mother of Mary Shelly who wrote Frankenstein  Feminist philosopher  An author of novels, treaties, travel narratives, history of the French revolution, conduct literature and a children’s book  Written works involving the education of women: “Thoughts of the Education of Daughters”, and “Vindication of the Rights of Women” MARY WOLLSTONECRAFT

 Education for middle class children  Discipline, honesty, frugality, social contentment and reason MARY WOLLSTONECRAFT CONT… “THOUGHTS ON THE EDUCATION OF DAUGHTERS”

 Women only appear inferior to men due to a lack of education  Men and women are equal in the eyes of God  Appropriate education for your place in society  Power to the middle class  Women are powerful and important in their own way  Lack of education is bad for women, their children and their husbands MARY WOLLSTONECRAFT CONT… “A VINDICATION OF THE RIGHTS OF WOMAN”

“Without virtuous wives and mothers, there can be no virtuous people nor virtuous nation. It is in women that patriotism and morality depend” – Jean Jacques Rousseau  Powerful voice of feminism  Influence on education for girls  Girls did not want to learn, a “natural” dislike JEAN JACQUES ROUSSEAU

 Enlightenment thinker  Humans are good by nature  Corrupted by historical events  Difficulty with authorities over his works such as the “Emile”  Influenced by Immanuel Kant The “Emile”  Details Rousseau’s philosophy on education  Rooted in the idea that humans are basically good  Education should cultivate out natural tendencies  Important moral lessons for women and children  Education means better engagement in society JEAN JACQUES ROUSSEAU CONT…

 Sophie’s education is different than Emile’s  Submissive to Emile  Training for womanhood  Drawing, writing, counting, reading, art of pleasing, religion and reason JEAN JACQUES ROUSSEAU CONT… SOPHIE IN THE EMILE

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