Nuns as teachers are historically associated with anything but progress. Often stereotyped as exactors of cruel discipline, nuns in the classroomv are thought of as wielding rulers – and worse – ready to rap disobedient children’s knuckles. And yet, during the 19th century, Catholic sisters were, in their own way, radicals as they engaged in work that challenged the norms of their time: the education of girls.

At that time, the education of women was still controversial. Some even argued that academic study was detrimental to women’s health, potentially causing infertility.

The standard education for a middle-class girl involved home schooling with an emphasis on social accomplishments in preparation for the marriage market, while working-class girls often started work as early as eight years old. Catholic sisters defied the low intellectual expectations of women of their time by providing education not only for well-to-do girls but also for poor ones.

While women in Catholic orders are most often thought of as living in cloistered retreat, the 19th century saw a dramatic rise in women living religious lives out in the world, engaging in education, nursing and other forms of social care. By 1880, these sisters, the term for women in active congregations, comprised 80% of Catholic women in religious orders.

The growth of girls’ education

Catholic sisters were not only leaders in education in Catholic countries but also made important contributions to girls’........

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