education Flashcards
(5 cards)
Why did Attitudes to Education change?
Protestant Reformation: The shift from Catholicism to Protestantism emphasized individual interpretation of the Bible, necessitating literacy for all, not just the clergy. This led to a greater demand for basic education.
Economic Opportunities: valuable skills for social mobility and securing good employment, particularly in trade, law, and government.
some humanists believed education should be improving humanity .
grammar schools
petty schools
dame schools
Boys aged 8–14
Learn Latin, Greek, French, history and philosophy Archery, chess, wrestling, running.
- fees to pay
- some poor children could attend for free
Petty schools Boys aged 4–8 English – reading and writing. Basic arithmetic
Dame schools Girls aged 4–8 English – reading and writing. Basic arithmetic
Sewing and needlework
Household skills
These extra skills were often included to prepare girls for domestic roles, but the core academic focus remained limited compared to boys’ education at the time.
nobility education
private tutors at home
-latin, greek and history
Punishments in Elizabethan Grammar schools
Being banned from the school for a certain period
Being kept in at break time
Corporal punishment, including caning
Being ‘on report’
After warnings to the parents of a misbehaving child, it was possible for a pupil to be expelled
Impact of Education
No big change for the poorest: Most common people (farmers, labourers) had little to no formal schooling. They learned practical skills at home or through work.
Better for the middle class: Sons of merchants and skilled workers saw more opportunities in new grammar schools, helping them get better jobs.
Girls’ education limited: Girls, regardless of class, mostly learned home skills. Formal academic schooling was rare for them.
Overall literacy grew slowly: While more people could read, it was still a small increase from a very low starting point, mainly in towns
