France -- Civilization; France -- Politics and government; France -- Social life and customs -- 19th century
Thus, as in a monastic order, one must join the University by "going
into the orders."[6133]--"I want," says Napoleon, "some solemnity
attached to this act. My purpose is that the members of the corps of
instruction should contract, not as formerly, a religious engagement,
but a civil engagement before a notary, or before the justice of the
peace, or prefect, or other (officer).... They will espouse education
the same as their forerunners espoused the Church, with this difference,
that the marriage will not be as sacred, as indissoluble.[6134]... They
will engage themselves for three, six, or nine years, and not resign
without giving notice a certain number of years beforehand." To heighten
the resemblance, "the principle of celibacy must be established, in this
sense, that a man consecrated to teaching shall not marry until after
having passed through the first stages of his career; "for example, "the
schoolmasters shall not marry before the age of twenty-five or thirty
years, after having obtained a salary of three or four thousand francs
and economized something." But, at bottom, marriage, a family, private
life, all natural and normal matters in the great world of society, are
causes of trouble and weakness in a corps where individuals, to be
good organs, must give themselves up wholly and without reserve. "In
future,[6135] not only must schoolmasters, but, again, the principals
and censors of the lycées, and the principals and rulers of the
colleges, be restricted to celibacy and a life in common."--The
last complementary and significant trait, which gives to the secular
institution the aspect of a convent, is this: "No woman shall have a
lodging in, or be admitted into, the lycées and colleges."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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