Women and the Politics of Education in Third Republic France

In Third Republic France (1870-1940), the directrice of a normal school (école normale) for training women teachers was the most important woman representative of public primary education in each department. This study of 313 normal school directrices between 1879 and 1940, an important group of professional women not previously studied, explores the challenges they encountered and their responses. Women and the Politics of Education in Third Republic France deftly examines the history of these women and their contributions to French society.