The Renaissance of Girls' Education in England: A Record of Fifty Years' ProgressZimmern, Alice
History
The Renaissance of Girls' Education in England: A Record of Fifty Years' Progress
Zimmern, Alice
Women -- Education -- Great Britain
for its first school the beautiful house and grounds of Wycombe Abbey.
Situated in lovely country, with thirty-six acres of its own, and the
rest of the park stretched all about it, the old trees, the historic
memories and dignified surroundings help to shed over the school some of
that feeling of tradition and veneration for the past, which all girls’
institutions must of themselves lack for some time to come.
The school resembles St. Leonard’s in its organisation, with some slight
differences. There are no day pupils and, as the Abbey is itself capable
of accommodating a hundred girls, it is divided for school purposes into
four divisions, technically known as ‘houses.’ Each house is in the
special charge of its tutor, and has its own sitting-room and
dormitories, and its table in the dining-room. The house-colour is
carried out in the cubicles; cretonnes, bed-spreads, tiles, etc. being
red, blue, green, or yellow, according to the special house in which the
dormitory is situated. All this prettiness serves as an attractive
background for hard work and healthy play. It is pleasant to find the
modern school catering for all the sides of a girl’s nature.
It very soon became necessary to build, and with the help of the new
houses two hundred can now be accommodated. Beyond this it is not
proposed to go; but should the system prove as popular in England as in
Scotland, it is probable that the Education Company might open more
schools. The conditions of admission, entrance examination, etc. are the
same as at St. Andrews. Physical exercise plays an important part, and
about two hours every day are given up to games or country walks, which
groups of girls are allowed to take together. Each term has its own
special game; lacrosse is the favourite in the autumn, hockey in winter,
and cricket in summer. The heavy work of the day is thus broken up into
two parts, and Wycombe, unlike the majority of girls’ schools, does not
rigidly divide these into morning classes, afternoon preparation.
Lessons and study hours alternate during the day. This is an attempt to
relieve the strain of the long morning, against which many voices are
again being raised. Physical and manual training come in for a share of
attention, two hours a day in the upper, and three in the lower school.
Under these headings come drawing and painting, part-singing,
practising, dancing, gymnastics, carpentry, gardening, and needlework.
All these are taught by expert teachers, and are treated as an integral
part of the general education. In the upper forms six hours a day are
given to actual study, in the lower only five. As this includes
preparation, and the day is so fully occupied that there is not much
chance of stealing odd half hours for work, it will be interesting to
see whether this short allowance, with the help of careful arrangement
and healthful surroundings, will prove sufficient to prepare girls
adequately for college. It is too soon to ask for results, but if this
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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