Education & Leisure in
Elizabethan England
FillinthissheetaswegothroughthisPowerPoint…
Whatwereattitudesto
Education?
• Itwasbecomingmorevalued,butstill
limited
• Stillastricthierarchystructure
• Educationaimedtosupporttheexisting
socialorder,notforsocialmobility
• Anyeducationyouhadwastoprepare
youforthelifeyouwereexpectedtolead
– practicalskills
• Onlyasmallpercentageofboyswentto
school
• Basicliteracywastaughttotheseboys
• Mostpeoplewerestillfarmers,especially
inthecountryside,noeducationwas
needed
Whatdoessocialmobility
mean?[1]
Whatwasthemain
purposeofeducation?[2]
Whowenttoschool?[1]
Whatinfluenceswerethereoneducation?
• Humanists believededucationwasimportantinits
ownright,notjustforpracticalreasons.They
studiedtheancientsandmaths (Renaissance).
• Theybelievededucationwouldstoppeoplebeing
superstitious
• Protestants believedpeopleshouldbeabletoread
thebibletohavearelationshipwithGod
• Expandingtradeandbusinessmeantpeople
neededatleastabasiceducation,especiallyinthe
towns
Wherecouldyougotoschool?
Thinkaboutallofthewaysyoucanbeeducatedtoday…
1) NOBILITY@Home:
• Childrenofthenobilitylearnedavarietyofsubjectssuchas
foreignlanguages,Latin,Greek,History,philosophy,
Government&Theology.
• Evennoblegirlsat7yearsoldhadaccesstothesesubjectsjust
likeElizabethhad.Theyalsolearnedvaluableskillsexpectedof
upperclassladiessuchasmusic,dancing,needlework,horse
riding&archery
• Boysalsolearnthorseriding,fencing,swimmingandwrestling.
• Childrenwereoftensenttoothernoblefamiliestofinishtheir
education,eldestsonswouldinherittheirfather’stitlesso
neededtolearnhowtobeanoble.Girlswouldweresentto
makesocialcontactsperfecttheskillsofanoblewoman
Addthisinformationtoyourworksheetintherelevantcolumn
Wherecouldyougotoschool?
2):MiddleClasses@GrammarSchool:
• ThebiggestchangeinElizabethaneducationwasthe
creationofGrammarSchools(42in1560’s+30in
1570’s)
• Thechurchhadpreviouslyprovidedthemostbasicof
educationtosomechildrennowtherewasmuchmore
accessformoremiddleclass‘bright’boys
• GirlscouldNOTattendgrammarschools,theywerestill
athomebeingpreparedformarriedlife
• Feesdependedonhowmuchpropertytheboy’sfamily
owned.
• Somepoor‘bright’boyswerefundedbymoneypeople
leftintheirwillstoeducatepoorboys
GrammarSchoolsinfoforrevision
Differentschools/Summary
University@Cambridge/Oxford
• Forthoseableto,theywouldgoto
Universityatage14/15andcouldstudy:
Geometry,Music,Astronomy,
Philosophy,LogicandPublicSpeaking
(Rhetoric),Medicine,Law&Religion
• ElizabethfoundedJesusCollegein
Oxford1571toeducateWelshboys,her
councillor SirWalterMildmay founded
EmmanuelCollegeinCambridgein1584
– Thiswasinordertoeducatemore
protestantclergymentoincreasethe
numbersofwelleducatedProtestant
clergy
• InLondon,theInnsofCourttrained
Lawyers
Createaschoolprospectus:
• Readtheinformationonthisppt …
• Createaninformativeprospectusforagrammar
school,youneedtosellitandwriteinthefirst
personitshouldincludeasaminimum
• Subjectsyouwilllearn&activities
• Timetable/Holidays
• Discipline&punishments
• AlternativeroutestoGrammarschoolforpoorer
boys
ImpactofeducationonElizabethans
LiteracyRates
Men
Women
1558
20%
10%
1603
30%
10%
Whatdoesthissuggestabouttheimpactof
educationinElizabeth’sreign?
Rememberthepopulationhadalmostdoubled
•
Themainobstacletoeducationwasit’scost– whichlimitedtheimpact,notonlyfeesbut
thelossofincomewiththechildrennotworkingtheland,butatleastpeoplewere
beginningtothinkaboutfairnessandimportanceofeducation.
•
Attitudesfromnormal/poorpeopletoeducatingtheirdaughtersneverchanged,theywere
expectedtogetmarriednotworkoutsidethehome.
Boyswereexpectedtofindpaidemploymentandsupporttheirwivesandchildren,alittle
educationatleastcouldhelpfindabetterjob.
•
DifferenteducationalexpectationsofElizabethanchildren