Google Doodle celebrates the 148th birthday of Belgian educator Isabelle Gatti de Gamond
Google Doodle is celebrating the 148th birthday of Belgian educator and one of the first feminists, Isabelle Gatti de Gamond. Gatti is responsible for founding the first secondary school for women in Belgium and is credited with writing the book on the country's female education system. Born in Paris on 28 July 1839, Gatti de Gamond's family moved to Brussels when she was just 5 years old.
Soon after her mother's death in 1854, Gamond sought work to support her family and worked as a private tutor for a Polish noble family. Her time with the Polish family inspired her interest in ancient Greek, Latin and philosophy. Gatti de Gamond completed her education through government-funded courses in Brussels, with a keen sense of how she could help more women attend school.
The Belgian educator also shared her thoughts on women's education through a journal she founded called L'Education de la Femme (Women's Education). In 1864, Gatti de Gamond joined forces with the Brussels City Council to set up systematic courses for the secondary education of women, called Cours d'Éducation pour jeunes filles. This initiative later became the first secular secondary school for girls.
Later, in 1891, advanced and pre-university sections were added, and some of the women who studied at Gamond's school became the first in the country to attend university, work in parliament or become lawyers. Gatti de Gamond's school was later renamed the Isabelle Gatti de Gamond Royal Atheneum and continues to educate female students today. She went on to found many more schools and eventually retired as an educator in 1899.
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