Opinions about the need for and extent of female education revailing during the second half of the 19th century and in the early 20th century

Abstract

In the Kingdom of Poland, after the January Insurrection was crushed, many upper-class women were forced to support themselves because of the economic situation; there was therefore a heated discussion, among others in the press, about the need and extent of female education; it closely followed the discussion about the role and position of women in the society. So-called the „drawing-room” education with focus on teaching foreign languages which used to prevail so far, was strongly criticised. Its outcome – the so-called „drawing room doll” – was contrasted with the ideal of a „good housewife”. There were no doubts as to preparations necessary to run a household; general education became the main topic of polemics, as well as preparation to paid work. The postulated narrowing of girls’ education to practical skills only was opposed by many women, such as Eliza Orzeszkowa and Maria Ilnicka – the editor of „Bluszcz” who treated education as the internal improvement of a human being. There existed a viewpoint, especially popular in the intelligentsia community, that the aims of education were not simply material but also spiritual benefits since learning was a value in itself. The high growth of educational aspirations of women was observed in the second half of the 19th century. Quite often, their aspirations were not directly related to a desire to learn a profession. Girls graduated from schools with ambitious curricula, run by female activists with ties to the educational movement, where they did not learning any actual profession. Women attended public lectures and classes of the so-called Flying University. On the other hand, the economic situation forced some upper-class women to seek paid work. The prospect of becoming able to support themselves contributed to perceiving education as preparation to work. There were great hopes attached to crafts, especially in the 1870s. Craft schools and courses were organised for women and the press eagerly supported those actions. Unfortunately, it soon turned out that crafts failed to meet the expectations: there was no sufficient sale market and supply exceeded demand. In the late 1880s and early 1890s, the interest in crafts declined but interest in trade schools sparkled. At the end of the 19th century, paid work done by women due to necessity was no longer controversial; however, it was neither prestigious nor ranked high socially. That situation was altered by a group of „female pioneers” who strived to work in the intelligentsia professions, not only as teachers, and who were among the very first female university graduates. Women studying at universities was another heated issue with emotional response reflected in the press.