Back to the Schoolyard: The Daily Practice of Medieval and Renaissance Education

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 Refor…