Mary Wollstonecraft's Analysis

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Society has a significant effect on education. How society develops reflects the ideas and changes education undergoes. Society has always shaped education and has also influenced how people view children and the importance of their learning. The Age of Enlightenment was a key period of shaping modern day concepts surrounding education as many ideas surrounding education were challenged at this time. During this period the belief for freedom and rights was a main component people believed was essential for a change in education. Jean-Jacques Rousseau was a key philosopher in the eighteenth century. His beliefs changed the way society viewed education for boys. He believed that education should be about freedom and learning through experiences. …show more content…
She had considered the views that Rousseau developed and believed that some of his ideas were correct, it concerned her that education for men and women was not equal. She believed that the Enlightenment views of equality, freedom and rationality should apply to women too. Wollstonecraft believed that education was essential for women as their job was to raise the children. “Wollstonecraft 's view was that if women were to be fit to rear children in the new liberal society, they must be educated as rational people and be active in the society” (Helen May 2013 p.42). Wollstonecraft’s ideas were not essentially about education but rather about “educational relationships” (Morwenna Griffiths 2014 p.340). Wollstonecraft and Rousseau had similar ideas about education. They both believed that where children were educated was extremely important and to be educated well children must be happy. Both also acknowledged that both boys and girls were necessary in shaping future society. Rousseau and Wollstonecraft created many fundamental ideas that shaped early education around the …show more content…
During European’s exploration Captain James Cook first reached New Zealand. It was seen as a land full of savages and uncivilised people. Shortly after this in 1808 (Helen May Lecture 3) the first Mission was proposed to be set up in New Zealand. Europe had just recreated education following the ideas of Rousseau, Wollstonecraft and many other philosophers. Missionary schools were set up in New Zealand with the task of creating civilised people out of the Maori community. The first Missionary schools were developed following Samuel Wilderspin’s methods. This included regular breaks in which the children could play outside and also spending time in a gallery teaching. This method was an adaptation of the methods of both Rousseau and Wollstonecraft which enhanced the key ideas in the Enlightenment. During the nineteenth century, civilised was defined as someone who followed a religion, could read and write and had an understanding of social etiquette. The first Missionary was instructed to “model the arts of civilised life” (Helen May Lecture 3). The ideas of equality were reflected in early missionary schools with both boys and girls attending the same schools. This reflected Wollstonecraft’s idea that both sexes played a vital part in creating the future. Another key idea was of exploration not only were schools there to teach the curriculum, but school days were very long and also involved life

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