Page:1902 Encyclopædia Britannica - Volume 27 - CHI-ELD.pdf/722

 670

EDUCATION

community has been enriched by the application of powers Christ’s Hospital, provide liberally for the future applicaand talents which, under other conditions, would have tion of large funds to the maintenance of secondary and remained undiscovered and therefore unused; and that in higher schools for girls. The opening of the local enlarging the range of intellectual interests open to women, examinations of the two Universities to girls has already they themselves have found new opportunities of useful been referred to, and has had a marked effect in raising activity, and new means of adding to the dignity and the the standard of efficiency in the intermediate schools for girls. In 1874, when the public had been much happiness of their lives. But all these important changes have presupposed as impressed with the serious revelations of the Schools essential conditions increased educational advantages, and Inquiry Commission, Mrs William Grey and her sister a higher standard of what is suitable and necessary for the Miss Shirreff, with the subsequent aid of Miss Mary instruction of girls. In the sphere of primary education Gurney, founded the Girls’ Public Day School Company, the action of the Education Department has from the first with a view to familiarize the public with an improved type been favourable. The standards of instruction which have of schools. The experiment has proved remarkably sucbeen prescribed from time to time have, except so far as cessful. The company possessed in 1900 thirty-three high needlework is concerned, been practically the same for girls schools, with upwards of 7000 pupils; and its example as for boys. The qualifications of pupil teachers and for has been followed in many places, where schools of a head teachers of both sexes have, with a few unimportant similar character, under the care of qualified teachers and exceptions, been identical. The total number of certificated the government of responsible public bodies, have been mistresses recognized by the Board of Education is 36,435, founded independently. Before this effort, two of the as compared with 23,439 certificated schoolmasters; while most remarkable institutions for the secondary instruction of assistant teachers 4065 are young men and 22,671 are of girls had furnished the pattern which the company to a young women. This disproportion has a tendency to in- large extent followed. The Ladies’ College at Cheltenham crease year by year, as a larger share in elementary work had been founded in 1854, and under the skilful superfalls into the hands of female teachers. In this connexion vision of Miss Dorothea Beale had grown into one of It is it is interesting to consider the experience of the United the most important institutions in England. States. The statistics of the American Bureau of Educa- unrivalled in the completeness of its material equipment, tion include teachers of all ranks, from the kindergarten in the qualifications of its teachers, and in the successes it to the higher colleges and universities, and the last has won in all the most important examinations open to returns show that in all 131,750 men and 277,443 women. Including its kindergarten and its training women were engaged in education, and that the pro- department for teachers, it numbers upwards of nine portion of men to women had since 1870 steadily hundred pupils, of whom about half are boarders, and the diminished. In 1870 it was 42 per cent., in 1889 rest are the daughters of residents in Cheltenham, many it had fallen to 34'5 per cent., and in 1898 to 32 per of whom have settled in the town and neighbourhood for cent. In the Department of Secondary Education in the express purpose of availing themselves of the excepEngland a like change is taking place. Formerly all the tional advantages which the college offers. The North more pretentious private “seminaries” for girls prided London Collegiate School for Girls, which originated in themselves on the number of visiting masters, who gave the remarkable efforts of Miss Frances Buss in the year lessons in arithmetic, or history, or music, or astronomy and 1850, and which has gradually become a public foundation the use of the globes. But in just the proportion in which school of a high type, has served as a model, since largely a liberal education has become accessible to women, the imitated by the founders of local high schools for girls. need for masters is fast disappearing; since it is a familiar Bedford College and Queen’s College in London were fact of experience that, given an equal amount of established in 1848, with a view to place opportunities of knowledge, women are likely to be better teachers of higher education within reach of girls who desired to the young than men, as they have greater natural apti- prolong their education beyond the ordinary term of tude and a finer intuitive insight, enabling them to school-life; and the names of Professor F. D. Maurice, know the needs of childhood and to adapt lessons to these Charles Kingsley, Miss Anna Swanwick, and Miss Frances needs. What they know they can teach. The only reason Martin have been honourably associated with the early why this fact has been so slowly recognized, is that the successes of these institutions. But the most important aid which women have received opportunities for obtaining sound and thorough scholarship were so long withheld. Of the public measures that have in regard to advanced '.education has been furnished by affected the intermediate education of women in England, the English and Scottish Universities. In 1867 the first one of the most effective was the report of the Schools attempt was made to establish in England a college of Inquiry Commission in 1867, in which the defects of girls’ University rank for women. A house was taken at secondary instruction were characterized as “ want of Hitchin, midway between London and Cambridge, and thoroughness and foundation; want of system; slovenliness fitted for the reception of six students. In 1873 the college and showy superficiality; inattention to rudiments; undue was removed to new premises at Girton, near Cambridge. time given to accomplishments, and those not taught By successive additions it has been enabled to receive 150 intelligently or in any scientific manner; and a complete students, and it will probably be still further enlarged. absence of proper organization.” In the Endowed Schools From the first the governing body of Girton College, Act of 1869 there was inserted the 12th clause, “In prominent upon which were Miss Emily Davies and Lady framing schemes under this Act provision shall be made, as Stanley of Alderley, sought to avail itself to the full far as conveniently may be, for extending to girls the of the academic education provided by the University, benefits of endowments.” The last report of the Charity and to maintain the standard of learning in the college Commission shows that, in obedience to this clause, on the same level as that prescribed for men. In 1871 a eighty-two new secondary schools for girls had been similar enterprise was started under the care of Miss A. J. established, and that sixty-two other schemes contain inter Clough, who took a house at Cambridge to prepare students alia special provisions for enabling girls to share, either for such examinations as were then open to women, and m by scholarships or otherwise, the advantage of ancient this way established the institution known as Newnham grammar school endowments. Schemes for some of the College, which has been from from time to time enlarged, wealthier foundations, notably St Paul’s School and until it contains three halls of residence and accommoda-