Woman and Her Wishes - 1853

I think it must, however, be conceded, on the most cursory examination, that the superiority of modern female tuition consists less in its high standard, than in its general diffusion. But when we reach this point, another serious question arises.

For it is obvious that tuition in schools is a mere preliminary to the vocation of life; and every system must be judged by its connection as a whole. Now, the great defect of our plan of schooling for girls appears to be this: that it recognizes for them no object in existence except matrimony. This will be comparatively harmless, if we assume that every woman is to be married at twenty; but as this is the experience of only a small minority, there would seem to be a deficiency in the arrangement. And in view of the probable fact, that at this moment full one-third of the women in Massachusetts are either unmarried or childless, there certainly appears to be a flaw from the outset in our educational plans.

The schooling of boys is prospective; what a source of mental and moral stimulus is indicated by that one word! All acquired faculties are to be brought to bear upon some definite end. The high school prepares for the academy; the academy for college; college for the professional school, perhaps; and all for some vocation where "knowledge is power." Nay, who has not seen some indolent young man, who, after wasting all the opportunities of his earlier career, was yet galvanized into industry by the professional school, because the final pressure of an immediate aim was then applied?

But what adequate aim has the tuition of girls? To fit them to be wives and mothers? But so has the boy the probable destiny of becoming a father: the father has commonly more supervision of at least the intellectual training of the children than the mother and yet the young man has the prospect of this sacred responsibility to rouse him, and all the incentives, likewise, of professional and public duty. And if this accumulation of motives so often fails to act upon the boy, how can we expect that one alone will be sufficient for his sister?

To illustrate the manner in which this becomes apparent to an intelligent practical instructor, I quote the testimony of Mr. Smythe, of Oswego, N. Y., in a Teacher's Convention a year or more ago: --

"Mr. Smythe spoke from practical experience, having taught a large school of both girls and boys, and he had observed, that up to a certain point, their capacities or their progress was about equal. Perhaps the girls even showed more aptitude; but at that point they flagged, and there was a perceptible difference thenceforward. He had asked one young lady the reason of this, and she explained it thus: ' The boys are going into college; they have all before them; but we have nothing more to do --we are going "nowhere."' There was, he thought, an equality of talent in girls and boys; and if the former failed to evince it on any point, the failure arose from a want of stimulus. They had no aim in society worthy to inspire them."