Finishing school
Encyclopedia
A finishing school is "a private school for girls that emphasises training in cultural and social activities." The name reflects that it follows on from ordinary school and is intended to complete the educational experience, with classes primarily on etiquette. It may consist of an intensive course, or a one-year programme.
Switzerland
is known for its private finishing schools, such as Institut Alpin Videmanette
(now closed), where Diana, Princess of Wales
studied; Mon Fertile, where Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall was partly educated; and Institut Château Beau-Cedre, which closed in 2002. The finishing school that made Switzerland renowned for such institutions was Château Mont-Choisi, founded in the 1870s, which closed in 1995 or 1996. The only traditional Swiss finishing school that remains open is Institut Villa Pierrefeu, in Glion-sur-Montreux.
The term finishing school is occasionally used in American parlance to refer to certain small women's colleges, primarily on the East Coast
, that were known for serving to prepare their female students for marriage
. Since the 1960s, many of these schools have become defunct as a result of financial difficulties stemming from parents' decreased interest in paying for such an education for their daughters, and changing societal norms making it easier for daughters to pursue academic and professional paths not open to previous generations.
Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
is known for its private finishing schools, such as Institut Alpin Videmanette
Institut Alpin Videmanette
The Institut Alpin Videmanette was a finishing school in the municipality of Rougemont, Switzerland. It was an all-girl school where the lessons were skiing, cooking, dress-making and French. The school closed sometime before 1996.-Alumnae:...
(now closed), where Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, whom she married on 29 July 1981, and an international charity and fundraising figure, as well as a preeminent celebrity of the late 20th century...
studied; Mon Fertile, where Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall was partly educated; and Institut Château Beau-Cedre, which closed in 2002. The finishing school that made Switzerland renowned for such institutions was Château Mont-Choisi, founded in the 1870s, which closed in 1995 or 1996. The only traditional Swiss finishing school that remains open is Institut Villa Pierrefeu, in Glion-sur-Montreux.
The term finishing school is occasionally used in American parlance to refer to certain small women's colleges, primarily on the East Coast
East Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
, that were known for serving to prepare their female students for marriage
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
. Since the 1960s, many of these schools have become defunct as a result of financial difficulties stemming from parents' decreased interest in paying for such an education for their daughters, and changing societal norms making it easier for daughters to pursue academic and professional paths not open to previous generations.