Childrens Education
Home » Childrens Education in Tudor Era

Childrens Education in Tudor Era

What was Education like in Tudor Times?

Contents

Children’s Education in Tudor Era: During the Tudor rule, not much importance was given to education. It was a sort of luxury that only those with money could afford. Another point to note about education was that both boys and girls did receive an education.

Girl's Education in Tudor Era

However, the difference lies in the fact that boys were permitted to seek higher education, while girls were given only the basic knowledge about reading and writing.

Girl’s Education in Tudor Era

Did Tudor girls go to school?

Girls in the Tudor era rarely went to school. The main education for girls was to master the art of managing the household and raising children. Although this was the situation in middle-class families, the same is not the case in respect of the wealthy class.

They educated their daughters at home with the best tutors at their disposal. Princess Mary and Queen Elizabeth I can be considered to be examples of well-refined women of those times.

Types of Schools and Children’s Education

Normally, the age at which Childrens Education began was when the children were around 4 years old. The reason for giving more importance to the boy’s education was supported by the idea that eventually it will be the boy who will earn money for his family.

original Magnus Grammar School

This photo shows the end of the hall which was the main room in the original Magnus Grammar School, founded by Thomas Magnus in 1531. The room is lit from a high window along one side. Courtesy – http://homepages.nildram.co.uk/~jimella/nwrkschl.htm#magnus1

There were grammar schools and parish schools in villages. There were two types of schools during Tudor reign- Petty schools and Grammar schools.

Who went to school in Tudor times?

Very few children actually went to school in the Tudor times. Education in the 16th century England was limited to wealthy classes only. Boys of wealthy families or from working-class families who could afford to pay the fees of the school mainly went to school.

While kids from very rich families were taught at home by a home tutor and the boys of poor families could not afford an education at all. Girls were not usually sent to school and were kept at home where they were taught to do household works and skills like knitting and embroidery.

Why did so few poor children go to school in the Tudor times?

Children from poor families could not afford to go to school because they could not pay the school fees. They also had to help their parents at home and work for a living. It was, therefore, difficult for them to attend school. Boys from peasant families and farmer families had to stay back to work in order to earn money.

Some Tudor villages had parish schools where the kids were taught to read and write by the local vicar.

Tudor schools

Poor Tudor Children’s Life

Petty schools were only for a few hours as compared to other schools as these were something similar to present-day nursery schools. These schools provided a good opportunity for poor kids to learn and also work along with their parents. Schools maintained a high level of discipline and students were punished for their misbehaviour.

Castle Gates Library
Castle Gates Library, Shrewsbury. Formerly Shrewsbury School, where Charles Darwin was educated.

Schools were open six days a week. Latin, Greek, literature, and mathematics were commonly taught in Grammar schools. It was a wooden board with a sheet of alphabets or religious writing on it and the same was covered with a thin sheet of transparent paper.

Rich Children’s Education in Tudor Era

The wealthy could get their children to learn Spanish, French or even vocational courses like dance and music. The children used hornbooks for writing purposes. The teachers had no formal training before they taught in schools. Towards the end of the 16th century, women were appointed as school teachers.

Oxford and Cambridge University Club
Oxford and Cambridge University Club

Oxford and Cambridge were two universities that offered higher education. Boys went to these universities when they were about 14-15 years old. Some schools were also established to educate orphaned children. Sometimes, the children were deprived of education as they were forced to help their parents in earning money.

More Info On- Tudor Artefacts, Dresses, Games Sports and Pastimes, Tudor History facts for kids, Punishments for Crimes

Found info useful?