Back to the Schoolyard: The Daily Practice of Medieval and Renaissance Education (STUDIES IN EUROPEAN URBAN HISTORY (1100-1800))

After about 1300, most schools in the Netherlands came under secular rule. It managed to create good and accessible schools, causing a hey-day for education in the 14th, 15th and 16th century. As a result, more than half of the children participated in basic instruction and literacy rate went relatively high. A contemporary Italian visitor noted with awe that 'in the Low Countries everybody could read and write, even the peasants'. In the 16th century, the curriculum changed because of the Reformation and the availability of printed texts. In this book, the favourable situation in the Netherlands is compared with the rest of Western Europe. Medieval and Renaissance schools have been studied before, but never from the perspective of those who experienced it on a daily basis. Recent excavations on the sites of late-medieval schools and boarding houses revealed the objects used by pupils and teachers for reading, writing, mathematics, and school life in general. Combining those finds with texts and hundreds of depictions of school scenes in manuscripts, frescoes, sculpture, stained glass and early prints, the practice of education could be reconstructed. The book gives a detailed overview of the material school culture, allowing a rare glimpse into a late-medieval classroom. Medieval And Renaissance Schools Have Been Studied Before, But Never From The Perspective Of Those Who Experienced It On A Daily Basis. Recent Excavations On The Sites Of Late-medieval Schools And Boarding Houses Revealed The Objects Used By Pupils And Teachers For Reading, Writing, Mathematics, And School Life In General. Combining Those Finds With Texts And Hundreds Of Depictions Of School Scenes In Manuscripts, Frescoes, Sculpture, Stained Glass And Early Prints, The Practice Of Education Could Be Reconstructed. The Book Gives A Detailed Overview Of The Material School Culture, Allowing A Rare Glimpse Into A Late-medieval Classroom.--jacket. Introduction. Education & Literacy -- Ch. 1. Medieval Schools -- 1.1. The School System In The Netherlands -- 1.2. A European Perspective -- 1.3. School In Medieval Dutch Literature -- 1.4. School In Latin School Texts -- 1.5. Archaeological Sources -- 1.6. Iconographical Sources -- Ch. 2. The Material Culture Of Education -- 2.1. Learning The Alphabet -- 2.2. Reading -- 2.3. Writing -- 2.4. Arithmetic -- 2.5. Carrying -- 2.6. Punishment -- 2.7. Production And Sale Of School Equipment -- Ch. 3. School Life Excavated -- 3.1. Groningen : What Pupils Left Behind -- 3.2. Leiden : Records, Finds, And A Building -- 3.3. Gorinchem : A School Around 1600 -- 3.4. Zwolle : A Boarding House -- 3.5. A European Perspective -- 3.6. Some Other Schools And Houses -- 3.7. Reformation Schools -- Ch. 4. School Life Depicted -- 4.1. School Parodies -- 4.2. Teachers And Pupils -- 4.3. Educating Holy Children -- 4.4. Learning In Egodocuments -- Ch. 5. The Right Time For Education -- 5.1. School As A Phase In Life -- 5.2. The Learned Children Of Mercury -- Ch. 6. Grammar As A Teacher -- 6.1. Grammar And The Other Arts -- 6.2. The Good And The Bad Pupil -- 6.3. French Cathedrals : Grammar In A Stone Book -- 6.4. Italian Decorative Programmes : Government Resting On Grammar -- 6.5. Foligno : Arts, Planets, And The Ages Of Life -- 6.6. Secular Arts, Sacred Arts -- 6.7. Urbino : Federico Da Montefeltro Showing The Arts -- 6.8. Grammar In Manuscripts -- 6.9. A Realistic Grammar? -- Ch. 7. Daily Life At School -- 7.1. School Buildings -- 7.2. Pupils -- 7.3. Teachers -- 7.4. Schooldays -- 7.5. Social Status And Gender -- Conclusion. Education And Literacy. Annemarieke Willemsen. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. After about 1300, most schools in the Netherlands came under secular rule. It managed to create good and accessible schools, causing a hey-day for education in the fourteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth century. As a result, more than half of the children participated in basic instruction and literacy rate went relatively high. A contemporary Italian visitor noted with awe that 'in the Low Countries everybody could read and write, even the peasants'. In the sixteenth century, the curriculum changed because of the Reformation and the availability of printed texts. In this book, the favourable situation in the Netherlands is compared with the rest of Western Europe. Medieval and Renaissance schools have been studied before, but never from the perspective of those who experienced it on a daily basis. Recent excavations on the sites of late-medieval schools and boarding houses revealed the objects used by pupils and teachers for reading, writing, mathematics, and school life in general. Combining those finds with texts and hundreds of depictions of school scenes in manuscripts, frescoes, sculpture, stained glass and early prints, the practice of education could be reconstructed. The book gives a detailed overview of the material school culture, allowing a rare glimpse into a late-medieval classroom. Dr. Annemarieke Willemsen (1969) is art historian and archaeologist and works as curator of the medieval department of the National Museum of Antiquities at Leiden. Earlier she published books on Roman and medieval children's toys and on the Vikings in the Netherlands 001-012_voorwerk.pdf 013-020_intro.pdf 021-052_ch 1.pdf 053-088_ch 2.pdf 089-114_ch 3.pdf 115-180_ch 4.pdf 181-212_ch 5.pdf 213-260_ch 6.pdf 261-302_ch 7.pdf 303-310_conclusie.pdf 311-320_bibliografie.pdf 321-324_index.pdf