Education in England in the Middle Ages: Thesis Approved for the Degree of Doctor of Science in the University of LondonParry, Albert William
History
Education in England in the Middle Ages: Thesis Approved for the Degree of Doctor of Science in the University of London
Parry, Albert William
Education -- England -- History; Education, Medieval
But the ideal of education, as necessary for moral perfection, never
ceased to be the ideal behind the establishment of church schools. From
the earliest date three things have been considered necessary for
religious education: there must be a training in habits of worship and
devotion, the mind must be stored with adequate and systematised knowledge
of the doctrine of the Church to serve as a guide to conduct, and there
must be held before the mind of the pupil the ideal character of Christ,
human and divine.
Hence we note that the curriculum of the schools evolved in response to
this ideal. It consisted, as we have seen, of song and grammar: song,
because of its value in the training of habits of worship and devotion;
grammar, because it put the scholar in possession of the key to unlock the
store of knowledge which the Church possessed.
Gradually another ideal came into existence. People began to realise that
these church schools were useful for "bread and butter" purposes. Just as
the ideal which we have first outlined and which created the supply of
schools was the highest possible, so the motive which exercised an
important influence upon the demand for schools was the lowest possible.
Yet, it must be confessed that the "bread and butter" motive proved to be
a most powerful one in stimulating the demand for schools. Throughout the
history of the human race self-interest has always been a powerful
stimulant to action. Under normal circumstances and in the great majority
of cases, as soon as a man freely realises that a certain course will be
of service to him, he proceeds to take the necessary action.
These two ideals were in operation, side by side, during the period from
the eleventh century to the close of the Middle Ages. The authorities of
the church, believing in the value of education as an agency for the
elevation of the human character sought to provide schools; the principle
of self-interest, in many cases, led children to attend these schools.
Towards the latter part of the period we are now concerned with, a new
ideal and a new agency gradually manifested itself. The new ideal arose
out of the perception of the value of education. Education began to be
conceived of as a preparation for a life in this world as well as a life
in eternity; now "learning and manners" begin to be combined just as
previously "religion and letters" were linked together. Thus we read that
the school at Wisbech was founded that children might be instructed in
"godly and vertuos lerninge,"[740] and the school at Tewkesbury "for the
bringynge up of the saide youths in knowlege of vertue and good
learninge."[741]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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