In Secondary Schools.

A key debate during the decade was how to educate women for congenial work and financial independence while fitting them to be homemakers as well. In 1918, 57.9 percent of all students enrolled in secondary schools were girls. Some conservatives lamented that higher education for women and their success in professional training was "disinclining women for marriage and the cares of housekeeping and child rearing." A powerful group of educators, including John Dewey, demanded that the education of women be brought in touch with the vocational needs of the community. Though Dewey was not suggesting that women's studies be confined to home economics, he and other educators held that preparation for a life career and genuine culture were not alien to each other. Most women during this period, however, opted for a traditional classical education. The vast majority of young women enrolled...