Finishing schools

Private schools, usually for girls, that emphasized training in domestic skills, cultural behavior, and social activities, allowing young ladies of certain social classes to be "finished" prior to their introduction into the traditional adult female role in polite society. In addition to limited training in general education, finishing schools typically taught subjects such as manners, posture, needlework, drawing, meal planning, wardrobe planning, the art of conversation, supervision of child care, singing, dance, etc.