The development of the child / by Nathan Oppenheim.

  • Nathan Oppenheim
Date:
1898
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The development of the child / by Nathan Oppenheim. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    This is one of the main reasons why so many unnecessary elements have been included in a girl’s education. For this reason they have been taught a smattering of French, German and Italian; have been taught a trifle about art and music; have been instructed in the petty details of deportment and elocution, of the humanities. Their demonstrations and use of abilities in these directions have rarely had any real, practical value in the conduct of their lives; but, on the contrary, have added sources of complexity, dissatisfaction and inefficiency. Their attempts at piano-playing, at drawing and painting, at an intelli- gent demonstration of literary and scientific knowledge, were far from being elevating to themselves or others. Outside of being luxury-fetiches, they had no good reason for existence. Most of all has the training of girls been not appropriate to the highest work of which they were capable, of which, moreover, society stood in greatest need. Therefore, with the spread of information and the broadening of ideas, the ne- cessity of giving them a better and more useful training became more and more apparent. When, on account of changing industrial conditions, the com- petition in life became severer, when a disposition to laxer ideas concerning the sanctity of rank and caste showed itself, when women began to feel the need economically and morally of occupying positions of greater productive value, the tendency to branch