Educating Women: Schooling and Identity in England and France, 1800-1867

by Christina de Bellaigue

An increasing number of middle class families were taking the education of their daughters seriously in the first part of the nineteenth century, and boarding-schools were multiplying on both sides of the Channel. Schoolmistresses - rarely, in fact, the 'reduced gentlewomen' of nineteenth century fiction - were not only often successful entrepreneurs, but also played an important part they played in the development of the teaching profession, and in the expansion of secondary education. Uncovering their careers and the experiences of their pupils reveals the possibilities and constraints of the lives of middle class women in England and France in the period 1800-1867.

Yet those who crossed the Channel in the nineteenth century often commented on the differences they discovered between the experiences of French and English women. Women in France seemed to participate more fully in social and cultural life than their counterparts in England. On the other hand, English girls were felt to enjoy considerably more freedom than young French women. Using the development of schooling for girls as a lens through which to examine the lives of women on either side of the Channel, Educating Women explores such contrasts. It reveals that the differences observed by contemporaries were rooted in the complex interaction of differing conceptions of the role of women with patterns of educational provision, with religion, with the state, and with differing rhythms of economic growth. Illuminating a neglected area of the history of education, it reveals new findings on the history of the professions, on the history of women and on the relationship between gender and
national identity in the nineteenth century.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

294 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2007

Reviews

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! With the rise of the middle class in England and France came a rising interest in educating more children of both genders. de Bellaigue says that the governess as poor noblewoman was always more of a literary convention than an absolute truth, but women of many backgrounds saw teaching and governess appointments as potential careers until or instead of marriage (or after marriage in France, where married women were acceptable in public roles) and women sought educations that would allow them to become educators, a teaching certificate was even a proxy diploma in France by the middle of the century. More schools came into existence as the century wore on, and de Bellaigue has done incredible research on what these schools were, how they were perceived, who taught in them and attended them, and the quality of the education. Schools developed differently in England and France. France already had a tradition of convent schools and schools in France were larger and more institutional. English schools, in contrast, had smaller numbers of pupils and schoolmistresses strove for a home-like atmosphere. What the schools taught and the quality of education varied widely. France had inspectors for girls schools early on but British schools were less supervised. Teachers, assistants, and teaching pupils, all female, provided the bulk of the education in both countries, and male educators would come in for short periods of time to lecture on specific subjects. Because of the smaller school sizes, English girls progressed at their own pace, while France instituted a series of exams by the 1830s. There are things de Bellaigue can't ascertain: nobody writes in their diary about the overall quality of their education, and if a schoolgirl's memories are bleak or fun or dreamy, is that a reflection on the school, the lessons, the peers, or the girl? But pedagogical information was being exchanged formally, and books on teaching girls were printed. Teachers were professionalizing themselves, even when they were pretending they weren't to preserve the domestic appearance they needed to maintain. And some teachers were just terrible, I'm sure. In my favorite book, Wishing for Tomorrow, Miss Amelia is weeping at the death of her parents and Miss Minchin says, "I cannot think with you wailing, Amelia," but she does think, she thinks of school. The contrasting conventions between Continental and Kingdom classroom cultivation is cogent and curious. I enjoyed this book a lot, even though it was academic and dry as hell. Well done, Madame de Bellaigue!

[Katie Fowlkes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This makes me grateful for the level of education I have received and thankful that competition is no longer described as "potentially dangerous for girls, whose 'excitable and sensitive constitutions' might cause them to overwork and damage their health.'" As if.
This will take you back to a time when women's education did not free the mind, but rather enslaved it to a certain type of life. Their schooling was limited to what would be useful to their husbands and children, so education was essentially some sort of sick grooming process. The fact that this mindset was commonplace is disturbing but important to recognize. Overall a very enlightening book, especially the contrasts between French and English schooling and how that is rooted in religious beliefs.