No one other than a
laborer was illiterate in the towns.
Humanist grammar [secondary] schools were established in London by
merchants and guilds. In 1510, the founder and dean of St. Paul's
School placed its management in the hands of London "citizens of
established reputation" because he had lost confidence in the good
faith of priests and noblemen. The sons of the nobility,
attorneys, and merchants were starting to go to grammar school now
instead of being taught at home by a tutor. At school, they
mingled with sons of yeomen, farmers, and tradesmen, who were
usually poor. The usual age of entry was six or seven. Classical
Latin and Greek were taught and the literature of the best
classical authors was read. Secondary education teachers were
expected to know Latin and have studied the ancient philosophers,
history, and geography. The method of teaching was for the teacher
to read textbooks to the class from a prepared curriculum. The
students were taught in Latin and expected not to speak English in
school. They learned how to read and to write Latin, to develop
and amplify a theme by logical analysis, and to essay on the same
subject in the narrative, persuasive, argumentative, commending,
consoling, and inciting styles. They had horn books with the
alphabet and perhaps a Biblical verse on them. This was a piece of
wood with a paper on it held down by a sheet of transparent horn.
Pages:
532
533
534
535
536
537
538
539
540
541
542
543
544
545
546
547
548
549
550
551
552
553
554
555
556