Early in her adulthood, Mary Wollstonecraft established a short-lived school for girls, however, it was her passionate beliefs about the rights and equality of women that formed her ideas on education. After her school failed, she wrote “Thoughts on the Education of Daughters” in order to establish herself as a writer. Later, in 1792, she wrote A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, which expressed her views on educated woman in society.
As her life progressed, she became more vocal with her feminist belief that girls should be educated so they would value themselves thus they would become better wives and mothers. She felt that children reared by educated, interested parents would mature into more productive, respectful individuals. This was opposite of the beliefs of her contemporaries who believed that women should be dull, submissive, irrational creatures without the full benefit of formal education. Mary Wollstonecraft believed in the rationality of women, and that education was key for them to understand their worth in life.
Mary believed in co-education that included physical activity. Lessons should be presented using discourse instead of lecture and rote memorization. She felt that girls educated with peers of both genders would be better thinkers and conversationalists. They would have self-respect and make better partners to their husbands, which would improve the condition of the family, and of society as a whole.
No comments:
Post a Comment