Education and Girls
A ''Standard''
You may or may not know this, but in the beginning the question of girls' education was not an issue. It lasted for centuries.
Indeed, the norm was the reproduction of social positions. That is to say, everyone was prepared to suit the roles for which they were destined. Thus, the destiny of girls was within the family, their objective was to become a wife and mother. Whereas men's destiny was in society.
Treatise on the education of girls by Fénelon
A treatise published in 1687 by Fénelon, who says that instruction is function. To quote him: ''The science of women, like that of men, must be
limited to instruction in relation to their functions; the difference in their jobs must make that of their studies.
That is to say, girls should be educated in ;
- le morals
- and religion
So elementary knowledge such as the elements of calculation to manage the servants and the household are sufficient for them.
Turning point in education
Born on 26 March 824 in Bains-les-Bains, and died on 26 August 1874 in Fontenoy-le-Château, at the age of 50, carried off by tuberculosis, JulieVictoire Daubié was to make her mark on the evolution of girls' education
How did this happen? Let me explain...
Everything happens in 1861. Napoleon III is in power. Under the Second Empire. Women are still considered good at being mothers, giving birth, doing the housework.
But one of them, is going to mark a turning point, and to make speak about it...
YES, perhaps some of you have suspected it, it is Julie-Victoire Daubié.
THE first French woman to have registered for the baccalaureate exams in the 1861 session in Lyon. And having obtained it several months later on August 17, 1861. (simply because the term requested did not exist for the female.)
Exam at the time
In those years, to obtain the baccalaureate, the obviously male jury voted with different coloured balls.
- The white ball for a favourable opinion
- The red ball for abstention
- And so the black ball for an unfavourable opinion
Julie-Victoire Daubié obtained her diploma with :
- 3 favourable opinions (white balls)
- 6 abstentions (red balls)
- And thus 1 unfavourable opinion (black ball)
This meant that she had a ''passable'' result, so to speak. That is to say, a result between 10 and 12, which does not correspond to any mention at this time.
Once again the first woman to be awarded…
Indeed, this was not her only achievement. Ten years later, in 1871, she obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree, making her again the first woman ever to graduate in the field.
''Becoming aware of your rights''.
Published between 1866 and 1869, Julie-Victoire Daubié published her work entitled "La Femme pauvre au XIXème siècle" (The poor woman in the 19th century).
In this work she writes with passion and revolt to analyse the various conditions of women, such as;
- Economic conditions
- Political conditions
- But also, the moral conditions
She also founded the Association for the progressive emancipation of women.
So to conclude for me, and you, on the contrary to deepen the subject, I leave you attached the link on the episode 3 of the figures which shaped
the university. A series of 4 episodes, available on France Culture, of which the 3rd episode deals with ''Julie-Victoire Daubié, a pioneer at the
university''. https://www.franceculture.fr/emissions/le-cours-de-lhistoire/ces-figures-qui-ont-faconne-luniversite-34-julie-victoire-daubie-unepionniere-a-luniversite