ABSTRACT
The education of female children in nineteenth-century France was shaped by a social prejudice toward women. Even though the program of education administered by the state differed in many respects from the earlier one established by the church (for example, the curriculum was less traditional and more intellectual or liberal-arts oriented), there were still enormous differences between the instruction given to girls and the one given to boys. In both the church and state educational systems, young ladies did not receive a comprehensive education nor were they prepared to attend college. This restriction of women's studies helped preserve the traditionally low-status position of women (Mayeur 1981). However, this situation did change. Thanks to innovators such as Mathilde Salomon, young women were provided the opportunity to participate in educational programs reserved for boys. Because of these important developments, they were able to attend college and eventually acquire a wider range of occupations and a more dominant role within French society.
