Gewijd der jeugd voor taal en deugd. Het onderwijs in de Nederlandse taal op de lagere school, 1750-1850

Abstract

This thesis deals with Dutch language education in primary

schools in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. It focuses on the role of

education in the development of Dutch as a standard language, with attention

for educational practices, pedagogical discourse and passive exposure to language norms in school books. The transition from the eighteenth to the nineteenth century was marked by rapid societal and ideological changes. Part of these changes were reforms of the Dutch language and school system. Language was increasingly seen as a marker of national identity. Education in the national language became an important prerequisite for the development of a modern and national civil society. To facilitate national unity and language education, the norms for the Dutch language were officially codified. At the same time, new pedagogical ideals led to changes in the organization, means and methods of primary school education. Based on reports from the school inspection, pedagogical literature and school books, this thesis draws an image of theory and practice of Dutch language education in primary schools between 1750 and 1850.