Victorian Education and the Women’s Movement
School of English, University of St Andrews, UK
Abstract
The nineteenth century saw significant reforms to the education of middle-class girls and young women, including the introduction of day and boarding schools with an emphasis on intellectual development rather than ornamental accomplishments; improved training and status for women teachers; and the gradual opening up to women of college and university education. But while advocates for women’s education argued for its moral benefits, both for the women themselves and for society, their opponents recast the debate as one about the mental differences between the sexes, thus raising wider and potentially radical questions about women’s nature.