Finishing school

A finishing school is a school for young people, mostly women, that focuses on teaching social graces and upper class cultural norms as a preparation for entry into society.[1][2][3] The name reflects that it follows on from ordinary school and is intended to complete the education, with classes primarily on deportment and etiquette, with academic subjects secondary. It may consist of an intensive course, or a one-year programme. In the United States it is sometimes called a charm school. In Tsarist Russia it was known as the Institute for Noblewomen.

In Switzerland

Switzerland was known for its private finishing schools, such as Institut Alpin Videmanette (now closed), which Diana, Princess of Wales attended; Mon Fertile, where the Duchess of Cornwall was partly educated; Institut Le Mesnil, which Queen Anne-Marie of Greece attended; and Institut Château Beau-Cedre, which closed in 2002. The finishing schools that made Switzerland renowned for such institutions were Brillantmont International School founded in 1882, now an international high school and Château Mont-Choisi, founded in 1885, which closed in 1995 or 1996. A Swiss finishing school that still exists thanks to a constantly updated curriculum is Institut Villa Pierrefeu, in Glion which was founded in 1954.

In the United States

Main article: Women's college

Through much of their history US finishing schools emphasized education in the social graces and de-emphasized scholarship: a sexist society encouraged a polished young lady to hide her intellectual prowess for fear of frightening away suitors.[4] For instance Miss Porter's School in 1843 advertised itself as Miss Porter's Finishing School for Young Ladies--even though its founder was a noted scholar offering a rigorous curriculum that educated the illustrious classicist Edith Hamilton.[5] Today the situation has reversed: Miss Porter's School downplays its origins as a finishing school, and emphasizes the rigor of its academics.[6]

The term finishing school is occasionally used, or misused, in American parlance to refer to certain small women's colleges, primarily on the East Coast, known for preparing their female students for marriage.[7] Since the 1960s, many of these schools have closed as a result of financial difficulties stemming from changing societal norms making it easier for women to pursue academic and professional paths not open to previous generations.[8]

References

  1. ↑ Joan Perkin (1 January 1995). Victorian Women. New York University Press. pp. 27–28. ISBN 978-0-8147-6625-5.
  2. ↑ "finishing school". Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia. TheFreeDictionary.com. Retrieved 2009-05-04.
  3. ↑ "finishing school". Online Dictionary. Merriam-Webster. Retrieved 2009-05-04.
  4. ↑ Burlington Howard Ball (12 August 1996). Hugo L. Black : Cold Steel Warrior. Oxford University Press, USA. pp. 20–. ISBN 978-0-19-536018-9. "[Hugo Black was] a traditional southern sexist male who believed...that women should not go out of their way to read the classics. Instead they should go to finishing school and prepare themselves for the rewarding, nurturing role of wife and mother...[H]e wanted [his daughter Jo Jo] to go to Sweet Briar College because, according to him, scholarship should never play too big a role in a woman's life”.
  5. ↑ "Flashback Photo: Miss Porter's School Finishes Socialites, Scholars and a First Lady - New England Historical Society". New England Historical Society. February 15, 2015. Retrieved March 31, 2015.
  6. ↑ Evgenia Peretz (July 2009). "The Code of Miss Porter's School". Vanityfair.com. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
  7. ↑ Penelope Green (April 23, 2015). "The Independent Women of Sweet Briar". The New York Times. Retrieved April 23, 2015. [The 20th Century was] an era marked by conflicting cultures: one that was still defined by hostess houses, white gloves and the 'ring before spring' doctrine that cast women’s colleges as mere finishing schools, and one with a commitment to educating women for roles far from the home.
  8. ↑ Increased opportunities for women reduce need for single sex schools

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