About This Site
I have created this website to be a research tool, a resource, and a catalyst for better understanding the link between religion, women, and education. I chose to concentrate a lot of the links and research on my own educational experience. I am, after all, a product of a Catholic education system run by women.
I invite you to engage your imagination, and use the site to create your own understanding of how I have come to understand religion, women, and education to be closely linked. The project is for my final grade in a course for George Kroupa titled History and Theory of Education. I give some background of the Sunday School Movement, and sprinkled in a few biographies, a look at an actual school book, pictures of people and places that have had an influence on education and our present day school system. I have to say however that my site really looks more at the theory part or the title.
I do have a theory about private education that is run by a religious order or a denomination. I experienced first hand such an education, and can honestly say that I believe it accounts for much of my success as a business woman. I would also note that many of my classmates have gone on to be successful as well, but not so much because, I believe of an economic advantage, but more because of an educational advantage. Steeped in tradition and holding itself to the principles of discipline, balance, and seeking the truth spiritually and mentally, the woman dominated school system produced class after class of finely polished students.
The class system from a social perspective may be sorted by finance, but having class should not be confused with belonging to the upper class. I find it an interesting dynamic that women who vow poverty are able to instill a sense of class and a level of education in the poorest of children, so that they might compete on a more level playing field with their more financially able peers. I only wish that some of the principles that are held dear by the members of the religious communities that run such schools could be translated into ones we could teach in a public school.
If I were to venture a guess I would say that Oswald Chambers title of his book "My Utmost for His Highest" sums up the work ethic of the Christian private school. A principle lost I fear in the separation of church and state.
On that topic of the separation of church and state I also have a theory. I put it here as it bears on the difference between a public and a private educational system. I wish that the lawyers had researched better, or simply paid closer attention to the meaning of that declaration "separation of church and state".
I believe what the founding fathers (sorry no girls allowed at that time) had in mind was protecting religious freedom by not requiring as the King did, that the people belong to a common denomination, governed by the state. That is to give us freedom to worship as we pleased. The rationalization of that concept has gone so far astray that now, in the year 2000, we argue if there should be allowed even a moment of silence in our public schools--schools born of the Sunday School Movement. I fear the foolish mistake of not understanding and learning from our past is having a negative effect on our educational system, but alas, that I will save for another project site.
Please send any comments or suggestions to me at: samilio@erols.com.
My Education
I grew up in Erie Pennsylvania, and was educated from Kindergarten through my Bachelors degree in a Catholic school system. It was not until I wandered to other parts of the world that I realized how unique the area I grew up in was, when it came to how the population was educated. Other areas appear, from my limited research, to have many less options for private education than are offered in my corner of the Great Lakes region. As I researched schools in my area I discovered that there were almost as many private schools as there were public schools in Erie. Specifically in the Erie area there are 22 public schools in Erie Proper for a total enrollment of 12,106 students, and 19 private schools (enrollment figures not available. (See resource page for links to information)
My Education was greatly influenced by two orders of sisters. From Kindergarten through 10th grade I was exposed to the Sisters of St. Joseph, and then moved on to the more forward thinking Sisters of Mercy. I state this because the Mercy sisters have a lot more going on technology wise and were some of the first to cast off their traditional habits for "normal people clothing" and thus the movement to more easily integrate themselves into the community.
To say I was educated in the "old school" tradition would be an understatement. There was segregation of boys and girls at the high school level until the 1970's and in fact the graduating class of 1978 (my year) was the first class that had a male student attend all four years of high school at the formerly all girl facility. I had an all female education until 10th grade, at which point I switched schools from the Villa to Mercyhurst (Josephites to Mercyites). This kind of segregated education taught those of us who experienced this kind of education how you succeed in competition on a level playing field. Team sports and the "old girl" networks were formed in these schools. It made for very fine preparation for entering the male-dominated business world. Unlike some of my female cousins who had attended public schools, I had none of the preconceived notions of when it was ok for a female to speak in mixed company.
This a a basic principle that is now being discovered about how our educational system is geared toward the male gender. Perhaps the fact that women in religious orders have founded, taught in, and run these private schools accounts for the perceived qualitative differences in private vs. public education.
Please also take note of the architecture in the photos when you click the link below. My educational experience, from a facilities standpoint, was a place where large oil paintings lined the halls depicting scenes form the Bible and nature. In the stairwell leading to the cafeteria, there was a painting of some guys fishing by Winslow someone or other. I say it this way because there was a "given" feeling of tradition in that place. The paintings had always been there. There was no fear that they would be harmed in any way--it was a different time.
The first "secular" teacher I encountered was not until the 4th grade. This intermingling of the secular and religious community was for those of us sheltered in our private school a monumental event. A far cry from days of the Philadelphia Sunday School Union, although reading, writing and religious conversion, or in this case confirmation, was still the underlying groundwork.
For a brief two weeks in the 7th grade I changed schools and decided to try public school. The first thing I noticed was that most of my classes were behind where I was and I was going to end up at the top of my class or bored. The second I remember vividly was the interaction between the girls and boys. The boys did not appear as serious as my schoolmates at the Villa, in fact i wondered why we bothered educating boys at all, as they did not appear to be very well suited for serious education. Knowing now that the tables were literally reversed in human history and it was women deemed unsuitable for real education that interested me in the topic of education in general. Even toady i still wonder about that 7th grade theory, but suffice it to say to the males reading this that is a good thing I was not in charge in 7th grade!
There was one other aspect to the mixed girl-boy classroom that was the turning point in my deciding to return to private school. My cousin Laurie was in one of my classes. I did my homework with her one evening, she was an excellent student. The next day in class the teacher asked for answer to the assignment. I raised my hand Laurie did not, question after question she did not volunteer. At the Villa (my previous school) it was a fight to compete to have the teacher call on you, and often every hand in the class was raised. The all girl class was a level playing field. I had to ask Laurie after class why she did not volunteer, as I knew she had every answer right. I can still hear her answer, "John was in that class and he did not put his hand up, so neither did I. I didn't want him to think I was smarter than him or he might not like me." Nothing I can say hear could be clearer than the words of my cousin as a statement on what the educational system and societal pressure did to influence the growth and education of girls.
My cousin Laurie ended up being an early pioneer for female rights., Because my name is Jamie, I was put in the shop class instead of home economics-it was assumed that all Jamie's were boys, and these classes were completely segregated in public school. Boys took shop only and girls took home economics only--end of discussion. When I left after my two week trial, my cousin and her mother went to school and applied to switch Laurie from Home economics to shop. Initially they were told there were absolutely no openings. When is was pointed out that there was a vacancy and it was made vacant by a female student, they were forced, with threat of law suit to give Laurie the space. It turned out to be a great success. She was very happy to be in a class full of all boys, each wanting more that the other to be her shop partner, and some of the boys eventually got to take home economics--under orders from their mothers to learn how to cook and do laundry. A small revolution was born.
At this point I would offer the basic histories of each of the main educational influencers, as their history is rich with education history. Please see the resources page to find the full links to their informational websites.