What Is Finishing School?
Finishing school was a popular concept in the first half of the 20th century in which young women were taught about elite class etiquettes and social graces. Such schools had a prime focus on personality development, and academics were considered secondary.
In the second half of the 20th century, there was a decile in the finishing school as this concept became less popular. The roles and representation of women in society changed, and common schools became more relevant. In the last decade of the 20th century, finishing schools again came into the trend but with a different perception and business model.
Concept Of Finishing School In Contemporary Society
The modern finishing school concept is very different from its origin. Today, a finishing school can be described as a private educational organization that focuses on all-round personality development. It also emphasizes the social and cultural activities to make an individual better adaptable to the contemporary world.
Skill development and moral education is also an essential part of a finishing school. The common schooling practices of education are also followed. It can be in the form of an intensive course. It can also be in the form of a one-year program.
Today many schools follow and adopt the pattern of finishing schools into their curriculum. Ecole Globale International Girls’ School in Dehradun is an excellent example of a finishing school for girls. Ethical and moral education is imparted to the young girls to polish their personalities and become more confident.
Importance Of Finishing School
Education should not be only limited to theoretical learning and conceptual knowledge of books. Education serves the purpose of enhancing the personality of an individual and polishing their persona. Here comes the importance of finishing schools. A finishing school works on this ideology and maintains a complete educational experience for the students. It helps the students with the following key parameters:-
- Personality Development
- Value Education
- Skill Development
Let us discuss them in detail.
Personality Development
Personality is a summation of our life experiences, influences and education. It is also affected by the decisions we take and the choices we make. Our personality is a depiction of our beliefs, ideology, values, expectations and our actions as a whole. While our family and society play a significant role in shaping our personalities, schooling and education is also a major influential factor.
A finishing school stresses upon personality development through psychological and physiological aspects. It is believed that the things we are exposed to and the influences that we receive from our mentors and guide can change our personality. Finishing schools have several programs that cater to the individual needs of the students. Social interaction and communication skills, body language, professional and personal life etiquettes etc. can be improved with the help of personality development programs.
Value Education
Our ethics and values are an important part of our personal and even professional life. Our morals define us as a person and create an impression about us in the minds of others. Morals of a person can also be influenced by the culture that one comes from. One cannot directly criticize the morals of a person to be right or wrong.
There are some universally accepted morals that every person should follow as an individual. Finishing schools helps in inculcating these values and morals in a student. Education about unethical or immoral practices is given, and students are made aware of the wrong things prevalent in society.
Skill Development
Skills have become an essential part of the present society. Technical skill development can help an individual with better prospects. Skills can be domain-specific or general. Nowadays, many industries and education give more importance to the skills of an individual rather than their theoretical knowledge and education.
Common schools may not have a skill development program as a part of their curriculum. In a finishing school, technical skill development is emphasized greatly. First, the potential and interests of an individual student are assessed , and then skills are imparted accordingly. There are some basic skills that every individual is expected to possess. These include communication skills, writing skills, observation and perception skills, etc. Special programs are created in a finishing school to develop such skills in the students. These are also known as general skills.
Domain-specific skills are also taught in a finishing school according to the interest and potential of a student. These can be graphic designing, development, coding, etc.
Conclusion
Overall, a finishing school prepares a student for college and career life in a much better way. It emphasizes on several aspects and parameters that are essential in life. Many schools have adopted the type of school model to improve the proficiency of their course. The cost of these schools depends on several factors like infrastructure, excellence, location, etc. In order to get a complete educational experience, it provides the best opportunities.
