8-4Education

What was education and school like in Elizabethan England? //Answer prepared by Sarah L.// Elizabethan education was very different from the modern education we have in the 21st century. There were different goals, styles, and courses than what we are used to, which can make for a very interesting subject to learn about. For example, a girl's education was accomplished at home; only boys went to school! I found this very interesting, because I cannot imagine what it would be like to not be allowed to go to school. Another fact I found interesting and somewhat disturbing, is that adults (including parents) supported the theory of children getting their education beaten into them! Wow, am I ever glad that's not still around. Like I said before, many different styles existed; it seemed as though education was not a learning process, but a passage or acceptance into society. This essay will help you realize how different it was from our interpretation of it that we have in modern day.

Schools in the Elizabethan Era were sexist. Girls or women were not allowed into public or private schools or Universities. For the most part only boys were provided quality educations. There was an exceptioin though. Women from royal families were taught by private tutors at home. From ages 7-14, boys were sent to "petty school", or Grammar School, which taught the basics of grammar, reading, and writing in English and Latin. Some petty schols also included Greek. Education during the Elizabethan Era was based on a lot of repitition and constant examination, so there must have been a lot of tests and memorization. Also, boys spent around 2,000 hours a year in school, which is more than double the hours of todays schools! Unlike today's schools, behavior was a principle part of childhood education; students were taught to respect their mother and father and asking for their blessing, say their daily prayers, and use basic manners. Grammar schools were usually run be a well-educated house-wife.

Once young students passed petty school they would be sent to Grammar School where the function was to prepare students for Universities. The primary study was Latin were the language would be studied at least an hour and a half each day. Whether you were homeschooled, went to private school, or public school, Latin was the most important course. It was the language of affairs, which means it was vital to study in order to succeed in life. To be respected in England, a young person had to be able to communicate using Latin. A typical day in Grammar School tended to be from 7:00 am. to 5:30 in the evening. Other courses included cosmography, which is the study of maps and the universe, dancing, writing, drawing, music, and French.

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