The Miss Teacher and Science in El Cojo Ilustrado (1892-1905)

Abstract

Women were left behind in the pursuit of science. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, in Venezuela, training as a teacher meant entering ‘Escuela Normal de Mujeres’ or ‘Curso Normal’ of the colleges in order to study Arithmetics, Physiology and Pedagogy. A basic approach if compared to university professorships taken by men. Gender inequality was notorious in the scientific publications of the time, professional practice and training. For this study, primary sources were reviewed: some issues of the journal ‘El Cojo Ilustrado’ and laws of the time. The purpose was studying the positivist science training of the students (young ladies) of ‘Escuela Normal’ and ‘Curso Normal’ in the period of 1892-1905. It constitutes a more direct approach to the time from the texts and engravings.