The Education of American GirlsBrackett, Anna C. (Anna Callender)
General
The Education of American Girls
Brackett, Anna C. (Anna Callender)
Women -- Education -- United States
Girls generally attend the public school from the age of six or seven to
eleven, where they occupy themselves with the more elementary branches;
afterwards they are placed in a seminary or "Institut," in which they
remain until sixteen or eighteen. The German girl of that age, if not a
member of the titled aristocracy, is seldom taught at home, except in
music, and perhaps in drawing; private instruction being indeed too
expensive even for the best families; neither is she sent to a
boarding-school, if a moderately good day-school is at all accessible.
In my school days neither Latin nor Greek were taught, and only the
elementary branches of science; from reliable sources I hear that the
present curriculum is nearly the same. But in all schools the girls were
thoroughly drilled in German, French, Rhetoric, Composition, Arithmetic,
History, and in the History of Literature. English and Italian were
optional. The hours extended from nine till twelve, and from two to four
or five, no other intermission being allowed--which seemed often rather
hard. One and frequently two hours were spent in needlework, which time
was utilized in the practice of French and English conversation with an
experienced teacher. The girls prepared their lessons at home, and
recited sitting. Their attendance was expected to be _uninterrupted_,
and was usually so, even through the critical period of development,
except in cases of suffering and trouble, and these were not frequent. I
remember but little complaint of headache and weariness--back-ache
seemed unknown. And yet these girls worked hard, many of them very hard.
Some began to teach when only sixteen, or even younger, and while still
pursuing their own studies. They went out generally in every weather,
and at all times, month in and month out.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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