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3100 BCE
Education in Ancient Egypt
Most children in Egypt did not go to school. Instead boys learned farming or other trades from their fathers. Girls learned sewing, cooking and other skills from their mothers. Boys from wealthy families sometimes learned to be scribes. They learned by copying and memorizing and discipline was strict. Teachers beat naughty boys. The boys learned reading and writing and also mathematics. Some girls were taught to read and write at home. -
500 BCE
Education in Ancient Greece
In ancient Greece girls learned skills like weaving from their mothers. They also learned to read and write at home. Boys from better off families started school when they were seven. They learned reading, writing and arithmetic as well as poetry and music. Physical education was very important so boys and girls did dancing and athletics. Discipline was severe in Ancient Greek schools. -
50
Education in Rome
The sons and daughters of better off Romans went to a primary school called a ludus at the age of 7 to learn to read and write and do simple arithmetic. At 12 or 13 boys went to secondary school where they would learn geometry, history, literature and oratory. The Teachers were often Greek slaves and also very strict. The sons from rich Roman families were educated at home by a tutor. Children wrote on wax tablets with a pointed bone stylus and Adults wrote on a paper called papyrus. -
1500
Education in the Middle Ages
In the Middle Ages many people were illiterate but not all. Upper class children were educated. Among the Medieval poor the better-educated priests might teach some children to read and write - a little. In many towns there were grammar schools where middle class boys were educated. Boys worked long hours in the grammar schools and discipline was severe. Boys were beaten with rods or birch twigs. During the Middle Ages education gradually became more common in 15th century. -
Education in 16th Century England
Education flourished in the 16th century. Many rich men founded grammar schools. Boys usually went to a kind of nursery school called a 'petty school' first then moved onto grammar school when they were about seven. The school day began at 6 am in summer and 7 am in winter (people went to bed early and got up early in those days). Lunch was from 11am to 1pm. School finished at about 5 pm. Boys went to school 6 days a week and there were few holidays. -
Education in the 17th Century
There was little change in education in the 17th century. In well off families both boys and girls went to a form of infant school called a petty school. However only boys went to grammar school. Upper class girls (and sometimes boys) were taught by tutors. Middle glass girls might be taught by their mothers also named dame schools, that is a woman where young girls were taught skills like reading and writing. In the 17th century boarding schools for girls were founded in many towns. -
Education in the 18th Century
In the 18th century young boys and girls continued to go to dame schools. Charity schools were founded in many English towns. They were sometimes called Blue Coat Schools because of the color of the children's uniforms.
Boys from well off families went to grammar schools. Girls also went to school but they were first taught embroidery and music rather than academic subjects.
Protestants were not allowed to attend most public schools. Instead they went to their own dissenting academies. -
Education in 19th Century England
In the 19th century education greatly improved for both boys and girls. In the early 19th century there were still dame schools for very young children. They were run by women who taught a little reading, writing, and arithmetic. However many dame schools were really a child minding service. Nevertheless in the 19th century Friedrich Froebel (1782-1852) and Maria Montessori (1870-1952) invented more progressive methods of educating infants. -
Education in the 20th Century
Education vastly improved during the 20th century. Between the wars working class children went to elementary schools. Middle class children went to grammar schools and upper class children went to public schools.
There was a huge expansion of higher education in the 1960s and many new universities were founded. In 1992 polytechnics were changed to universities. In the late 20th century people had far more opportunities for education and training than ever before.
