Chemists -- France -- Biography; Curie, Pierre, 1859-1906; Physicists -- France -- Biography
These colleges, or universities for women, are very characteristic of
American life and culture. My short visit could not permit me to give an
authorized opinion on the intellectual training, but even in such a
visit as I made one may notice important differences between the French
and American conception of girls' education, and some of these
differences would not be in favor of our country. Two points have
particularly drawn my attention: the care of the health and the physical
development of the students, and the very independent organization of
their life which allows a large degree of individual initiative.
The colleges are excellent in their construction and organization. They
are composed of several buildings, often scattered in very large grounds
between lawns and trees. Smith is on the shore of a charming river. The
equipment is comfortable and hygienic, of extreme cleanliness, with
bathrooms, showers, distribution of cold and hot water. The students
have cheerful private rooms and common gathering rooms. A very complete
organization of games and sports exists in every college. The students
play tennis and baseball; they have gymnasium, canoeing, swimming, and
horseback riding. Their health is under the constant care of medical
advisers. It seems to be a frequent opinion of American mothers that the
existing atmosphere of cities like New York is not favorable to the
education of young girls, and that a life in the country in the open air
gives more suitable conditions for the health and the tranquillity of
studying.
In every college the young girls form an association and elect a
committee which has to establish the internal rules of the college. The
students display a great activity: they take part in educational work;
they publish a paper; they are devoted to songs and music; they write
plays, and act them in college and out of it. These plays have
interested me very much in their subjects and the execution. The
students are also of different social conditions. Many of them are of
wealthy families, but many others live on scholarships. The whole
organization may be considered as democratic. A few students are
foreigners, and we have met some French students very well pleased with
the college life and the studies.
Every college takes four years of study with examinations from time to
time. Some students afterwards do personal work, and acquire the degree
of Doctor, which does not exactly correspond to the same title in
France. The colleges have laboratories with many good facilities for
experimentation.
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