Willingly To School : A History Of Women'S Education Av Mary Cathcart Borer

The denial of equal educational opportunities to women is arguably oneof the great injustices in British history. In Willingly to School, MaryCathcart Borer charts the gradual reversal of this inequality, and therevolutionary effect it has had on social structures, from the Anglo-Saxons tothe twentieth century. Always mindful ofthe historical context of each period, Borer explores the significant earlyrole of the church, the opportunities afforded to royal and noble girls, theorigins of the various forms of privately and charitably funded school, and theemergence of the modern school system. Along the way, particular significantinstitutions and individuals such as Christ''s Hospital, Cheltenham LadiesCollege, the Brontë sisters and Fanny Burney are examined in depth.Writing in 1975, Borer described the mid-twentieth century as having''seen the culmination of women''s demands for full equality in society''. Whilethe intervening years have shown that there is still much work to be done inthe pursuit of equality, Borer''s analysis of the progress that has been made inwomen''s education remains as pertinent as ever.