By Shayne and Kyle M.

school was not a normal right, it was a privilege It was very expensive and only rich, high classed, and religious people could afford to go to school Trading towns started grammar schools and in 1500’s most large towns had them. All the lessons were taught in Latin because Latin was language used for trade in Europe, so it was very important. Other subjects they were taught included grammar, rhetoric, logic, astronomy, philosophy, and math. Books were way to expensive, so lessons were taught so students could remember off by heart There were very few girls in schools Most schools were only one room There were 3 types of schools: - Grammar - Charity - Sunday

Schools started at sunrise and ended at sunset Teachers were very religious and were also very strict At first schools were taught by nuns at the church, and after awhile it evolved into town folk providing the educational facilities.

In medieval times universities were quite different then they are now. Students had a lot more freedom. They could choose their own courses, hire their own professor, and pick their own hours. They were also allowed to leave a professor if they were tired of him, and hire another. In the process they would have to go to several lectures before deciding if they were going to pay him or not. The only books were owned by the professor and students wrote notes on way notes.

Oldest university in Europe. Scientists say it was founded by King Alfred Located in Oxford, England

After a fight between Oxford’s students and the towns people of Oxford, England, the students went to Cambridge, England and founded Cambridge university. Founded in 1209 Located in Cambridge, England 2 nd oldest university in Europe

The birch was a type of punishment for children misbehaving. It was applied to the bare bottom of the child Not only was there pain, but there was also the added humiliation of having to undress Needless to say the punishment was very effective. The skin can be severely cut It was a rod made of birch branches with a type of string acting as a handle.

This picture above shows the Eton block, where students knelt, to be whipped with the birch. The picture below is of a kid lying over the back of another kid about to be whipped with the birch. Small children could be punished lying over the knees, but for older kids the favorite position was bending over a stool or a special made bench, like the Eton block. When a child is being punished they would usually get 5-6 strokes with 12 being the maximum legal.

There are two types of birch rods, Spray Birch and Manx Birch. The Spray Birch is made of small, skinny birch branches about 3-5 feet long tied together at one end to make the handle leaving a spray of twigs at the other end. The Manx Birch consists of fat, heavy branches tied in a bundle about three feet long. A birch rod usually consists of a bundle of 12 to 20 twigs form 65 to 75 cm long, bound in the first third of its length by ribbon, cord or leather, forming a handle. The twigs can be of any appropriate wood, but the most common are the white birch or the silver birch, because they are mostly straight and flexible.

There were very few girls that went to school. Some women from noble families were taught by a male at home or at another nobleman’s house. Others from rich families would go out of the country for an education.

Women would also become nuns, writers, poets, composers, and artists. The basis of girls education was “how to keep a household going so your husband was well kept. The lady was also in charge of the accounting/finances.

A son of a peasant was only allowed to go to school if he got the lord’s permission. This was to keep things the way they were because people that were high classed thought that if peasants were educated they might question the way things were going.

They would serve someone with a job for no money, to learn the skill. In return they would receive food and shelter and sometimes becoming part of the family Couldn’t afford to go to school, so they had to get educated some other way.