Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1888-04-26
THE EDUCATION OF WOMEN.
Evils in the Existing Method OF Training
Girls.


Evils in the Existing Method OF Training
Girls.
We are concerned at the folly which
is still apparent in the mode OF train
ing girls. The old accomplishment
schools are fast dying a natural death;
but the new system has inherited many
traditions of the old one and is carried
on in way which, if persisted in, will
completely falsify the hopes of the best
women of our generation. We are as
far as possible from pressing women to
follow too closely the scheme of mems
education. Nothing could be more dis
astrous and absurd. We regret in
deed. that in many respects it has been
followed so closely. In starting girls
education afresh, there was an oppor-
tunity of improving on old traditions
derived from mems education which,
we fear, can never occur again. But
though we do not advocate any inn
itation by women of mems edu-
cation, we must protest that no
boy or man was ever supposed
to be capable of what is now forced up
on some girls. The system of examin-
atoms run mad has been adopted
wholesale from boys education by the
educators of girls But no boy, how
ever crammed, was ever deprived of
exercise as girls are. No boy was ever
allowed to sit up to work till twelve
or one at night, as some girls are, to
the present writer's own knowledge.
Fortunately, boys would not stand it.
and the educators of girls should open
their eyes to the fact that they are taking
what boy would call "a mean advan-
tage" of the docility and eagerness of
their pupils, and of the traditions of an
unhealthy scheme of life, to further the
end of gaining prizes and distinctions
to the ruin of their pupils health and
the ultimate ruin of the cause
they themselves have at heart
This is not the case in the best
schools and colleges, doubtless;
but a generation which is reorganiz-
ing the education of women has a re-
sponsibility cast upon it which makes
protest needful. We believe that the
sedentary life led by girls of the last
generation was always very unhealthy.
Its traditions still surviving are re-
sponsible for ten times more cases of
hysteria and breakdown than higher
education. But in the old days such a
system was, at any rate, possible.
Combined with real intellectual work,
it is simply ridiculous. If women are
to use their brains, even in less degree,
as men do theirs, they must nourish
them in some degree as men do. There
is also an unfortunate tendency in mis-
tresses to make compulsory on the
pupil number of subjects which the
examiners, with the intention of Civ
ing everybody fair chance,
have made optional. Nothing, we
are afraid. can alter this but the
abolition of optional subjects. We
note that Mrs Pfeiffer has proved
that higher education has done little
harm and much good to women, moi
only mentally but physically. 1t is all
very well for gentlemen at the top of 9
well-paid profession to make hasty
congratulations as to the tendency Of
the intellectual culture of women tt
deteriorate the race. But in doing sc
they are laying weight upon women''
lives which they themselves would no
touch with one of their fingers. Surely
they have not considered Ito wha
poverty, poor feeding, mean employ
ment numerically prolonged, and
worse than all, to what temptation
!, they would consign them in hopeless
!. thousands" Why is it these men tel
us nothing of the cases which abount
in our great cities of women suffering
not from over-education, but from over
work and under-pay, caused in yer,
many cases by their bein.
! allowed no education at all, or il
others, by their being artifcially ex
cluded from more lucrative EN-
ployment? We are also HEARTH
glad that Mrs. Pfeiffer makes anothe
. protest against the Philistine idea, SUP
ported lately by at least one perso
who ought to know better. that highe
education is wasted unless it can b
: made to pay, and that for the role c
wife and mother it is useless Sue
persons seemed to have grasped tn
9 highest purposes of education as littl
as they have grasped the notion tha
: for woman as well as a man, there
an individual life and character whic
, are precious possessions, to be cult
u waited for themselves apart from an
gain or any role. To make money
y not. after all. the be-all and the end-a
a of human existence, and there is
o duty in self-culture. where it is poss
5 bic. which is not taken away by b
: coming somebody's wife or som
i body's mother. any more than it is /
r becoming somebody's husband or som
q body's father.-Londoa Spectator r
eisse Of Mrs.. Rfsifer's Recent Book.