Education in Elizabethan England: A Comprehensive Overview

The Elizabethan Era, a period often remembered as a “golden age” of English culture and expansion, was also a time of significant religious and political upheaval. Understanding the educational landscape of this era requires acknowledging the complex interplay of social class, religious beliefs, and gender roles. Education during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I was not universal; it was largely determined by one's social standing and gender. While advancements in education were made, access remained unequal.

The Socio-Political Context of Elizabethan Education

The Elizabethan era was marked by religious tensions stemming from the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI, and Mary I. Henry VIII's break from the Roman Catholic Church to establish the Church of England initiated a period of religious volatility. Edward VI, a Protestant king, further solidified the Protestant Church by introducing the Book of Common Prayer and removing Catholic symbols from churches. Mary I, a devout Roman Catholic, attempted to reverse these changes, persecuting Protestants and earning the moniker "Bloody Mary."

Queen Elizabeth I, an Anglican, sought to quell sectarian violence by adopting a lenient approach toward Catholics, though the Church of England remained firmly in place. This religious climate significantly influenced education, as the curriculum often shifted with the reigning monarch's religious leanings. Freedom of religion was assumed as long as laws were obeyed, but this did prevent Catholics from worshipping openly, and some sought to rise up against persecution.

Access and Social Class

Education in Elizabethan England was not equally accessible to all. It was primarily the upper and middle classes, specifically boys, who received formal education. While some girls of the upper class also had access to education, it was less common and often differed in content. The purpose of education during this time was to "teach children the appropriate behavior for their social class and to make them useful members of society."

Aristocratic children learned how to play an aristocratic role in society. Aristocratic children were brought up to be courteous knights and chatelaines-even aristocrats who became ecclesiastics learned to handle weapons.

Stages of Education

The Elizabethan education system comprised several stages, each catering to different age groups and social classes:

Petty Schools (Ages 5-7)

Children aged five to seven years old would attend preparatory “petty” schools. They were called petty schools, because they were generally small, and “the word petty was derived by the French word “petit”, meaning small”. Petty schools were run, for a small fee, by local, well educated housewives, and lessons were conducted in the house of the teacher. These schools, sometimes called Dame schools, were the entry point into formal education. These schools were run, for a small fee, by a well educated housewife. Here, children, including some girls, learned basic literacy skills, catechism, and proper behavior. They were taught to read and write in English, and were also expected to learn the principles for the Christian religion and proper behavior.

Grammar Schools (Ages 7-14)

Boys who continued their education typically progressed to grammar schools. Grammar schools were divided in those for ages 7 to 10 and those for ages 10 to 14. In the first ones, boys learnt Latin and, in the second ones, translations and literature. The main subjects in schools were translating English to Latin, arithmetic mathematics, history, instrumental music, and sometimes, in university, philosophy, if students wanted to take the course. The curriculum focused heavily on Latin grammar, vocabulary, translation, and literature. Students were expected to memorize and recite Latin texts. Mid XVI century, some girls were allowed to attend these grammar schools with their brothers. Nevertheless, until that moment, girls that lived in economically rich families had the opportunity to continue their education through tutors that came to their houses. It is interesting to point out that the families that had tutors were not only the upper-class families, but the wealthy ones. We can see this in The Taming of the Shrew, since the character Baptista is a merchant, but he is extremely wealthy.

Tutors

Alternatively, wealthy families, including those of the upper class, employed private tutors to educate their children at home. This was particularly common for girls who did not attend grammar schools. Tutors provided a more personalized education, often focusing on subjects deemed appropriate for their social standing, such as music, dance, and household management.

Universities

After grammar schools and tutors, only boys would continue their education going to university. A woman’s best option was to get married. Those who attended grammar school until the age of fourteen could continue their Elizabethan education at a University. The University Faculty of the Arts included Philosophy, Rhetoric, Poetics, Natural History education etc. The University Faculty of Liberal Arts included Grammar, Logic, Music, Astronomy, Arithmetic and Geometry education The University Faculty of Theology provided religious education. The University Faculty of Medicine covered Hippocrates, Galen, Arabic and Jewish medical texts and University Faculty of Law was also available. Oxford and Cambridge were the most renowned universities during this period. University education was primarily for men and focused on subjects such as philosophy, rhetoric, poetics, natural history, grammar, logic, music, astronomy, arithmetic, geometry, theology, medicine, and law.

Curriculum and Teaching Methods

The Elizabethan curriculum was heavily influenced by Renaissance humanism, emphasizing classical literature, languages, and rhetoric. Teaching techniques primarily revolved around memorization and recitation. Students were expected to learn Latin grammar and vocabulary, translate texts, and deliver speeches.

Religion played a central role in education. Students were required to learn catechism, memorize passages from the Bible, and understand the principles of the Christian faith. The specific religious teachings varied depending on the reigning monarch's religious affiliation.

Lessons were given in Grammar, Music, Logic, Arithmetic, and Geometry as well as Astronomy education. Also, certain languages like Latin and French were taught. In the lower grades, boys studied Latin grammar and vocabulary. Every few years, the children would be taught a higher level curriculum.

A hornbook was also used in Elizabethan education. A hornbook was a piece of parchment which was usually pasted on a small board made of wood which had a handle and was then covered with a thin plate of transparent horn.

Education for Girls

Education for girls was limited compared to that of boys. While some girls from upper-class families received education, it was often focused on domestic skills, music, and languages, rather than the classical curriculum offered to boys. The Elizabethan Era’s education focused on very different matters than the ones we give importance to nowadays. The education for both girls and boys began home and was focused on respecting their parents, asking for their blessing, waking up early in the morning to pray and learning table manners. Besides, girls also had to learn how to “govern a household”, “chastity”, how to conduct themselves in the social class of their husbands -since they assumed their status-, obedience to the male members of the family and, sometimes, music and dance.

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Religion in Education

In the Elizabethan times, Christianity was forced upon everybody. In fact, most of the curriculum in schools was based around religion. The parental figures of the children were expected to teach them their earliest lessons of religion, such as when and how to pray. In schools, students were required to learn catechism. Catechism is a detailed summary of the principles, in the form of a series of questions and answers, that is used for the instruction of Christians. One of the most popular prayers to say, in the Elizabethan era, was “in the name of the Father and the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost, Amen”.

Discipline

Discipline in Elizabethan schools was strict. Students could be punished for even the slightest infractions, such as talking back to the teacher or speaking out of turn. “If they were caught breaking a rule, students would be beaten with a birch whip”. In old fashioned schools, students were permitted to speak nothing but Latin. If they did not get the practice of speaking Latin, they would not be able to attend university in their later years.

The Role of the Monarch

Under each monarch, the curriculum would change along with religion. Elizabeth I was Anglican. The ruling monarch significantly influenced the curriculum and religious education. Depending on whether the monarch was Protestant or Catholic, the focus of religious instruction would shift accordingly.

Education and Social Mobility

While education was not a guarantee of social mobility, it could provide opportunities for advancement, particularly for boys from middle-class families. A grammar school education could lead to a university education, which in turn could open doors to professions such as law, medicine, and the clergy.

How Times Have Changed

About thirty percent of people worldwide do not get formal, stable education in schools. Around one hundred years ago, that number was doubled, if not, tripled. In Elizabethan England, there was a whole different, more strict school schedule. The education system in the Elizabethan era was varied, from punishment in schools, to languages spoken in school. Men were thought of as superior to women, and carried a higher social status, and received more educational benefits than women. Education between men and women is now equal in North America. In the Elizabethan times, a typical grammar school schedule was far more scheduled and regimented than it is now. Science did not exist, in its modern form, in the Elizabethan times. Thus, students did not have to learn about it. In the Elizabethan times, boarding schools were much more common.

Shakespeare and Education

Shakespeare, along with all Elizabethans, would have been well aware of the ebbs and flows of this power struggle, and Shakespeare often referenced religion and its effects on culture and politics in his plays. In Twelfth Night, Shakespeare’s characterization of Malvolio pokes fun at a strict Puritan lifestyle. The porter’s speech in Macbeth is commentary on the act of equivocation, or not telling the whole truth in order to avoid incriminating oneself or others. Father Garnet’s “equivocation” during the Gunpowder Plot trial had grave consequences. In Hamlet, Claudius holds a more Protestant view of grief customs and observances while Hamlet is more conservative, observing a more Catholic lifestyle. Shakespeare’s audiences would have been familiar with the Bible and Christianity, regardless of where they fell on the religious spectrum. While Shakespeare often commented on current events regarding the Protestant/Catholic debate within the action of his plays, his personal religious leanings are unknown.

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