Tallyrand, who formulated one of the most discussed proposals, restated the importance of education and maintained that "politics is the end of instruction. The child is an apprentice citizen." He and other leaders of the Revolution felt strongly that education in the French language was especially important for the aims of the new government. Only through sharing a common language could French citizens be expected to respond to the new sorts of claims about their responsibilities to the nation which the Revolutionary governments were laying on them. Linguistic unity was one part of the cultural unity required if the people of France were to be transformed into a citizenry. Yet in social terms, most plans reflected a utilitarian concern for the careful preservation of the class and gender division of labor.

— Schooling in Western Europe by Mary Jo Maynes (Page 52)