WOMEN, EDUCATION OF. Prior to the middle of the 59th century there was little provision for women or girls to en gage in serious study except in the early middle ages. Between the 6th and loth centuries there were good scholars and Latin ists among the nuns, and the convents provided instruction to girls in the same subjects as that given to boys. Later the educa tion received in the convent schools became increasingly meagre. The wave of enthusiasm for learning in the i6th century affected a limited number of women, mainly among the aristocracy.
From 1870 things moved fast. The Education Act of that year made education compulsory for girls ("the three Rs"; domestic arts) as well as boys. Girton college (Miss Emily Davies) already started at Hitchin in 1869, was established close to Cambridge in 1873. In 1871 Merton hall, Cambridge (Henry Sidgwick, Miss A. J. Clough) was opened, to become Newnham hall in 1876 and Newnham college in 1880. In 1871 the Women's Education Union (Mrs. William Grey) was begun, parent of the Girls' Public Day School Company (the Misses Gurney) which between 1873 and 1901 founded 38 day schools where girls could receive an educa tion parallel with the best afforded to boys. The reorganization of trusts facilitated by the Endowed Schools Act of 1869 provided excellent schools at low fees by devoting to girls a new and in creased share of the funds at their disposal—e.g., Harpur trust,
Bedford (1873), Grey Coat and Christ's hospitals, King Edward's schools, Birmingham, Hulme trust, Manchester, St. Paul's, etc. Good boarding schools were started (e.g., Miss Lawrence's, Brigh ton—now Roedean—i885). The Education Act of 1902 included girls in all its provisions for new secondary schools.
In all provided and grant-earning schools and those recognised as efficient the curriculum is now like that in boys' schools; the same examinations are entered for. In general less stress is laid on the classics, mathematics and physical science. Some periods are set aside for cookery, needlework, etc. The provision of science teaching and science laboratories has recently been much im proved. In some schools a business training is afforded after the matriculation stage alternative to advanced courses for those who proceed to the universities. In 1926-27 there were 160,022 girls in grant-earning schools, the average leaving age being 16 years 2 months. The efficiency of the schools was made possible by the opening of the universities to women—at first as regards lectures and examinations only, later by full membership of every British university except Cambridge, which bestows only titular degrees on women. At first the proportion of graduate to non-graduate teachers was low, now in all recognised schools there is a small minority only of non-graduate mistresses. Most head mistresses demand training as well as a degree from their mistresses. Sec ondary training is afforded in the university departments of educa tion; at the Maria Grey training college (1878) and St. Mary's college, London; the Cambridge training college (1884). Govern ment grants for training are made to women as to men with a less maintenance allowance. Women sit equally with men on the teachers' registration council. The number of women in the uni versities has steadily increased in the present century. In 1926-27 in the faculties of art, science and medicine they numbered 7,873 (Oxford Boo, Cambridge 472, London 3,136, provincial univer sities 3,465). State and county scholarships and four-year-scholar ships for intending teachers have contributed to this increase. All teaching posts are nominally open to women. Only in London and Wales have women held professorships.