Education

• During Elizabeth's reign, people increasingly began to recognise the importance of education.
• Where did children receive their early education?

  At home
• What did parents likely teach their children at home?

  Correct behavior and basic religious education
• At what age did children start attending Sunday school?

  Six years old
• What were children taught at Sunday school?

  The Lord's Prayer, the 10 Commandments, and the Creed
• What is the Creed?

  A basic statement of the Christian faith
• What skills were boys trained in from a young age?

  Simple work skills
• What activities did girls help with at home?

  Household activities
• Who taught some children from noble households?

  A private tutor
• What was the purpose of sending children to live with another noble family?

  To teach them noble society behavior and court skills
• How did the education of noble children differ from that of common children?

  Noble children received specialized training for court life
• What was the trend in school attendance in Elizabethan England?

  More children went to school
• Why was education becoming increasingly important in Elizabethan England?

  For many careers, including trade and government
• What were petty schools in Elizabethan England?

  • Small, local schools
  • Provided basic education
  • Often run by parish priests
  • Taught reading, writing, and some maths
  • Strong religious focus in lessons
  • Main teaching aid was the hornbook
• What was the main teaching aid used in petty schools?

  The hornbook, a wooden board
• What subjects were taught in petty schools?

  Basic reading, writing, and sometimes maths
• What was the typical starting age for pupils in petty schools?

  About six years old
• What characterized grammar schools during Elizabeth's reign?

  • Existed for centuries
  • Big expansion with around 100 new schools
  • No state education system
  • Most schools set up by wealthy individuals
• What was the gender distribution in grammar schools?

  Most pupils were boys, very few girls
• Why were few poor boys able to attend grammar schools?

  Their parents needed them to work at home
• At what age did children usually start grammar school?

  Around the age of seven
• What subjects were primarily taught in grammar schools?

  • Latin
  • Classical literature (from Ancient Greece and Rome)
  • Some schools also taught Greek
• What was the primary focus of lessons in grammar schools?

  Mainly on Latin and classical literature
• What was the trend in the number of university students during Elizabeth's reign?

  The number of university students was increasing
• Why did some boys go to study at universities after grammar school?

  To attend Oxford or Cambridge universities
• What social change contributed to the increase in university students during Elizabeth's reign?

  The growing prosperity of upper and middle classes
• In what language were university courses conducted during this period?

  Latin
• What subjects did students study after Latin?

  Arithmetic, music, Greek, astronomy, geometry, philosophy
• What might students specialize in after completing their undergraduate degree?

  Law, theology, or medicine
• When was the printing press introduced to England?

  In the late 15th century
• How did the printing press affect literacy levels?

  It encouraged increased literacy levels
• Why did the printing press make books more accessible?

  It made books much cheaper and widely available
• What were the key factors contributing to the increase in university students during Elizabeth's reign?

  • Growing prosperity of upper and middle classes
  • Availability of education at Oxford and Cambridge
  • Increased literacy due to the printing press