What was middle ages education like

The school at Charlemagne's palace follows classic tradition, in line with the Greeks and Romans. In the episcopal schools primary schools for all classes of society , basic reading, writing and counting with chips were taught, along with some notions of Latin. In the colleges , young people were taught Latin, poetry, sciences, public speaking, and law. It consisted of physical education, song, music and good manners.

The concept of honour was particularly meaningful. Alcuin of York, the director of the Ecole du Palais , brought teachers from Rome to teach grammar, music and arithmetic.

The episcopal schools were the responsibility of the bishops. This meant that a teacher was present in each cathedral. The family maintained its role in teaching domestic skills. Professional skills were taught in special institutions known as guilds.

In the episcopal schools sacred texts were read with a global method using whole sentences. In the colleges , teaching was magisterial, by commentaries on texts.

Ordinary classes where the teacher presented a subject matter were held in the morning. For example, sometimes boys from Yalding were given permission to work at St. Mary Magdalene Priory in Tonbridge. This priory had been established by Richard de Clare in Grammar schools were usually part of a cathedral or large church.

The main concern of these schools was to teach boys Latin grammar. Grammar schools were very similar to the schools established by the Romans. As well as grammar the boys were taught logic the art of arguing and rhetoric the art of public speaking. They also followed the Roman example of not spending much time on subjects such as mathematics and science. Oxford and Cambridge were the two main centres of learning in England.

Founded in the 12th century, these two universities took boys as soon as they were considered to be ready for advanced studies. This meant that some of the boys were as young as thirteen. Students at Oxford and Cambridge obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree by attending an agreed number of lectures. If they wanted a Master of Arts degree they had to stay for another three years. As well as studying, these students had to become teachers at the university.

Elizabeth de Clare , who inherited a third of the family estates after the death of her brother at Bannockburn , took a keen interest in education. It was just like going to school, only their teachers were the squires, who themselves were learning the next step in their goal to become a knight.

With the rise of towns, a new type of education was developed. It was called an apprenticeship. To be a member of a guild, you had to go through learning steps, to learn the trade. An apprentice was usually not paid, but was given room and board. Someone had to agree to take you on as an apprentice. Simply because you wanted to learn did not mean that someone would take you as a student.

Throughout the entire Middle Ages period, from around CE to CE, the only people who were taught how to read and write were the clergy. For everyone else, it was an option. There were no schools for the common people other than, after the rise of towns, some opportunities to become an apprentice. Most people were peasants. They could not read or write. Their life was spent working on the farms. Illuminated Manuscripts.

Interactive Quiz about the Middle Ages with answers. The Middle Ages for Kids.