They seemed chiefly girls from sixteen to eighteen. They answered, also,
most difficult questions in logic, and they learn a good deal of
astronomy, chemistry, &c., and have beautiful laboratories and
instruments. Music is also taught in a very scientific way, so as to
afford a knowledge of the transpositions of the keys, but in spite of
this, their music and singing are very American. German and French are
also taught in the schools when required.
The teachers, both men and women, have very good salaries; the youngest
women beginning with 60_l._ and rising to 120_l._ a year, while the
men's salaries rise up to 260_l._ a year, and that in the intermediate
or second class schools. This style of education may appear too advanced
for girls in their rank of life, but in this country, where they get
dispersed, and may attain a good position in a distant district, the
tone thus given by education to the people, is of great importance. The
educating of the females in this way must give them great powers, and
open to them a field of great usefulness in becoming teachers themselves
hereafter. The education given is altogether secular, and they profess
to try and govern "by appeals to the nobler principles of their nature,"
as we gather from a report which was put into our hands at leaving.
Pages:
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205