Dear Always,
This is precisely the debate. Were the dedicated Jewish mothers of yore, at all learned in Torah? Was it necessary for them to be?
Now I think if you admit to the premise today, than it should carry over to any generation. The counter argument is about how women have an internal Torah direction that guides them. Except if she were to have excessive outside influences. As that would negate her internal sense. Therefore, she has to stay home and avoid blah blah blah. This line of thinking gives a women a stronger internal Torah mind than men have. So then it is a real shame that they are not required to learn. Think how far they could go! But I digress.
As it plays out in our day, That even women in fairly insular settings gravitate toward their secular influences, even when they are minute and not in direct conflict with Torah. So there is no internal gold on the woman. Give her the time and liberty, she’ll come up with something to think about. So what kept Jewish women in the fold. What made them so fierce about their Jewishnes?
The answer is simple. They drank up whatever Torah they could. All the ‘well known Rashi’ comes from being picked up in conversation. Besides, the amount of halachah that a Jewish man had to know before the industrial revolution, was quite a lot. A kitchen with just a few pots. With steam and smoke all around. No streetlights. No instant communication. And all the halachah of interpersonal relationships. The main difference today, is that everything is more scholastic.