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''The Guardian of Education'' was the first successful periodical dedicated to reviewing children's literature in Britain.〔Grenby, "Introduction", xiv.〕 It was edited by eighteenth-century educationalist, children's author, and Sunday school advocate Sarah Trimmer and was published from June 1802 until September 1806 by J. Hatchard and F. C. and J. Rivington.〔Trimmer, ''Guardian of Education'', title pages. Presumably this was John Hatchard (1768–1849), founder of Hatchard's of Piccadilly. For a history, see Arthur Lee Humphreys, (''Piccadilly Bookmen: Memorials of the House of Hatchard'' ), London: Hatchards (1893). Retrieved 3 January 2009.〕 The journal offered child-rearing advice and assessments of contemporary educational theories, and Trimmer even proffered her own educational theory after evaluating the major works of the day. Fearing the influence of French Revolutionary ideals, particularly those of philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Trimmer emphasized orthodox Anglicanism and encouraged the perpetuation of the contemporary social and political order. Despite her conservatism, however, she agreed with Rousseau and other progressive educational reformers on many issues, such as the damaging effects of rote learning and the irrationalism of fairy tales. ''The Guardian of Education'' was the first periodical to review children's books seriously and with a distinctive set of criteria. Trimmer's reviews were carefully thought out; they influenced publishers and authors to alter the content of their books, helped to define the new genre of children's literature, and greatly affected the sales of children's books. ''The Guardian'' also offered the first history of children's literature; establishing a list of landmark books, which scholars still use today.〔Grenby, "Introduction", xl.〕 == Founding and structure == Sarah Trimmer was prompted to publish ''The Guardian of Education'' by the flood of new children's books on the market early in the nineteenth century and by her fear that those books might contain French Revolutionary values.〔Grenby, "Introduction", x.〕 The 1790s had been one of the most tumultuous decades in Europe's history, with the French revolution, increased demands for reform in Britain, and the French Revolutionary Wars. Following this upsurge in radicalism, a conservative backlash erupted in Britain; the ''Guardian'' was, in many ways, a part of this movement. In its pages, Trimmer denounced the Revolution and the philosophers whose works she believed were responsible for it, particularly Jean-Jacques Rousseau. She argued that there existed a vast conspiracy, organized by the atheistic and democratic revolutionaries of France, to undermine and overthrow the legitimate governments of Europe. From her perspective, the conspirators were attempting to overturn traditional society by "endeavouring to infect the minds of the rising generation, through the medium of ''Books of Education'' and ''Children's Books''" (Trimmer's ).〔Trimmer, ''The Guardian of Education'', 1:2, 10, 81, 145.〕 She intended to combat this conspiracy by pointing parents towards properly Christian books.〔Darton, 96.〕 Each issue of Trimmer's ''Guardian'' was divided into three sections: 1) extracts from texts which Trimmer thought would edify her adult readers (grouped under "Memoirs" and "Extracts from Sermons"); 2) an essay by Trimmer commenting on educational issues (contained in sections such as "Original Essays" and "Systems of Education Examined"); 3) and reviews of children's books. Trimmer herself wrote all of the essays listed under her name and all of the reviews, but she was not the author of the texts she extracted. The issues did not always consist of the same sections; for example, beginning in 1804 Trimmer started including an "Essay on Christian Education" and in 1805 occasionally reviewed "School books". Beginning a tradition that persists to this day, she divided the books she reviewed by age group: "Examination of Books for Children" (for those under fourteen) and "Books for Young Persons" (for those between fourteen and twenty-one).〔Grenby, "Introduction", xv.〕 Matthew Grenby, the foremost expert on Trimmer, estimates that the ''Guardians circulation was between 1,500 and 3,500 copies per issue.〔 Thus the ''Guardian'' Trimmer undertook a challenging task in publishing her periodical. According to Grenby, she aimed "to assess the current state of educational policy and praxis in Britain and to shape its future direction".〔Grenby, "Introduction", xii.〕 To do so, she evaluated the educational theories of Rousseau, John Locke, Mary Wollstonecraft, Hannah More, Madame de Genlis, Joseph Lancaster, and Andrew Bell, among others. In her "Essay on Christian Education", subsequently published separately as a pamphlet, she proposed her own comprehensive educational program. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「The Guardian of Education」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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