The role of secondary school in the training of women skilled personnel of Katerynoslav province in the II half of the XIX – early XX centuries

Abstract

The point of this study is to cover the issue of history of women’s secondary education in Katerynoslavprovince in the 2nd half of the XIX – early XX centuries. Patriarchal judgments and views on the women’srole have been characteristic of the society of the Russian Empire for centuries. It has been found out thatthe democratic reforms of the 60-70s of the XIX century marked the beginning of the changes towardswomanhood. The historical premises for the formation of the women’s education system are covered. Itis established that the creation of women’s educational institutions of all classes in terms of legislativeframework begins in the 1950’s. Women’s educational institutions were subordinate to different institutionsand had different organizational and educational backgrounds. Thus, the Ministry of Public Education hadthe most rights and opportunities in the sphere of education. In addition to state schools, there were privateand public schools. It is established that the new system of educational sector management is claimed asstate-public. The main types of general secondary schools in Katerynoslav province in the II half of theXIX – early XX centuries were gymnasiums, progymnasiums, parochial secondary school for girls. Thefeatures of the financial situation of the gymnasiums on the example of certain educational institutions arerevealed. Thus, a large number of women’s gymnasiums and progymnasiums and their popularity withthe population were directly related to the rapid economic development of the region and the vigorousactivity of local self-government bodies. The content of education of those secondary schools is defined.The popularity of gymnasiums with the population comes from their class-inclusive nature. The range ofwomen’s gymnasiums in the early XX century is distinguished on grounds of division into classes andreligion. Education for daughters of clergymen was of a limited nature compared to the gymnasiums. As aresult, women’s religious secondary education evolved less dynamically. It is established that the religiousaffairs authority opened professional secondary educational institutions – parochial secondary school forgirls – primarily for the daughters of clergymen. There was only one such school in Katerynoslav province– in the principal town of the province. The content of the education of parochial secondary school forgirls is described. The proportion of disciplines of the humanities and mathematical and natural sciences iscompared. The article states that the end of the XIX - early XX centuries was marked by the decline in thesystem of parochial secondary school for girls, and defines the content of the reforms of the religious affairsauthority. The sources of funding of Katerynoslav parochial secondary school for girls and gymnasiums arecompared. The role of parochial secondary school for girls in the problem of providing public school withteachers is figured out.