Education During The Middle Ages

The Elizabethan Era, the “Golden Age” of English history, ended with the death of Queen Elizabeth I, but its approach to education lingered centuries beyond that. During the Elizabethan times, education was completely dependent upon a person’s social status and gender, as well as the whims of the sitting monarch. Although that is not the case anymore, similarities can be drawn between Elizabethan and modern education. In fact, Elizabethan education and modern education share more similarities than differences.

Peasants were members of the lowest class, those who work. They were the most common class. They were the millers, blacksmiths, butchers, carpenters, farmers, and other trades people. Peasant women in particular, spent much of their time taking care of children, making clothes, and cooking meals. They also tended gardens, took care of animals by tending chicken, shearing sheep, and milking cows (Cels 16). Within peasants, there were two main groups of people, the serfs and the freemen. Both were employed by the lords. And serfs were people that paid more fees, and had less rights. Freemen on the other hand paid less fees and had more rights than serfs (Noiret). While freemen could leave the manor when at whim, serfs were not allowed to leave

Children had to work on the farm when they were old enough or they had to do chores in the house. There was not much time for them to do anything other than work on the farm, “Each year, children started working in the fields as soon as the weather permitted and as soon as they were strong enough” (Reinhardt). It was necessary for children to help their parents get the work done on the farm and because this usually took up the majority of their time, it was difficult for them to go to school. There were many reasons that caused children to stop their education at a young age and work on the farm. In an interview with my grandma, she said “I only received schooling up to eighth grade. Because I was the oldest, I had to stop school because my parents needed me to help them do the work on the farm”. Once she learned how to read and write, she was forced to stop school and work on her parent’s farm. To this day she regrets that she was not able to finish her education and she tells me that I need to appreciate my education. Before she married my grandpa she told him that she wanted her kids and grandchildren to have the capability to go to school and receive the best education that they can. Numerous families had to take their children out of school in order for them to assist on the farms. Lucky children, like my grandpa, had the chance to finish their education because their parents had other jobs outside of the farm that would

Before The Renaissance, there was a time period known as the Middle Ages. The Middle Ages was a time of darkness and illiteracy. Around eighty percent of the European population was illiterate and or uneducated relying completely on the Roman Catholic Church for education. The uneducated were mostly peasants. The few people that were educated were priests, and other religious figures in the church. Although as time progressed peasants, began to become more independent. With the invention of the printing press education began to become more widespread. Many people began to become specialized in other subjects besides farming and questioned the ideas of the church. As the Middle Ages came to an end so did the strength and overall power of the Roman Catholic Church.

After the Fall of Rome in 476 C.E. Barbarian tribes Goths, and Huns invaded Europe from the east to the north. These invasions caused buildings to collapse, and very few amount of schools were left. This left the people with a lack of education and no desire to teach it. With little to no education, no new ideas were formed, and no one bothered to repair the damage caused by the invasions. People also forgot how to read and write.

Feudalism emerged from this simple system. By the eleventh century, the High Middle Ages emerged launching numerous Crusades. The Crusades regained innovations in science and technology that developed more of an education. But, the Crusades led to the decline of feudalism. Between the two ages, it differs from knowledge and the amount of

During the Middle Ages social class much different than modern day. In a feudal society “nobles were granted the use of land that legally belonged to the king,” (Doc. 1). The nobles, in return, would give the lord loyalty and military services (Doc. 1). As peasants or serfs worked for nobles and knights they received protection and a portion of the harvest to feed their families (Doc. 1).

In manorial villages the lords of the land would have vassals and serfs. A vassal was a voluntary obligation taken so the vassal would be cared for. Although once one became a vassal this obligation would follow through all the generations of the family. Serfs on the other hand

Middle Ages DBQ Hard work, sweating, labor, torture, all this for a piece of land. Well, that’s how serfs and peasants lived in the Middle Ages in Europe. The middle ages was a time period back around 476 AD (OI). It was a time period back when knights and kings were a thing and where they had hardly any technology. The middle ages was a time period like in the movies when you see and old movie with kings and knights.

As compared to its experience in the early Middle Ages, Europe in the High Middle Ages was a. more decentralized. c. less militaristic. b. less isolated. d. more religiously diverse. Which is the best summary of the authors’ introductory overview of the late Middle Ages? a. Political and religious institutions grew steadily stronger throughout Europe. b. Populations grew, while cultural institutions faced severe challenges. c. Political conflicts

Children of a poor family usually stay and work on the farm or learn how to sew, knit and weave. That is why living in the Renaissance is worse than living today. One reason living during the Renaissance is worse than today is kids that are poor did not usually get to go to school. One source says “Peasant children did not usually learn to read and write”(Elliott 8).

     The influence of universities and merchants, as seen, changed the kingdom. Medieval universities were first formed in the 12th century AD after a need for educated public officials became evident. Schools like the Law School at Bologna as well as medical schools gave towns lawyers, judges and capable local officials. Other schools like the University of Paris taught scholars literature and theology. The breed of Renaissance thinking was most likely developed in such places. Scholars like Peter Abelard and Thomas Aquinas led an interest in the study of classical Greek and Roman philosophy. This interest, along with challenged perspectives of the time eventually led to modern science. Guilds, as afore-mentioned, were monopolistic practices over certain trades set by merchants. They virtually eliminated competition and ensured quality. Compared to Renaissance art, and Shakespearean and Elizabethan literature the precursor saw little. However, works like Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales were popular, and the Gothic architectural style laid a foundation for many cathedrals and buildings. It is still a dominant facade in today’s world and was relished in modern Western Europe. A powerful education system and study of art are necessary for society’s to flourish and carry it’s roots into the next era;

Life as a serf or peasant was not easy. Serfs were bound to their lord's land and required to do services for him. Although they could not be sold like slaves, they had no freedom (Ellis and Esler 219-244). Peasants farmed for the goods that the lord and his manor needed. They went through difficult hardship because of this. Peasants were heavily taxed and had to provide for themselves the goods that they needed (“The Middle Ages”). According to the medieval law, the peasants were not considered to 'belong to' themselves (“The Middle Ages”). Although serfs were peasants and had relatively the same duties and similar rights, what differentiated a peasant from a serf was that a peasant was not bound to the land (“The Middle Ages”). Peasants had no schooling and no knowledge of the outside world (Ellis and Esler 219-244). They rarely traveled more than a couple miles outside of their villages. All members of a peasant family, including children, tended crops, farmed, and did some sort of work to help out (Ellis and Esler 224). Very few peasants lived past the age of 35 because of hunger in the winter and the easy development and transmission of disease (Ellis and Esler 224).

“The period between 1965 and the end of the 1980s witnessed significant developments, not only in the provision of post-primary schooling in Ireland, but also in the way in which schooling was understood.”

“The period between 1965 and the end of the 1980s witnessed significant developments, not only in the provision of post-primary schooling in Ireland, but also in the way in which schooling was understood.”