What two reasons led to the decline in education in the middle ages?

Answer 1

Education declined a great deal during the first part of the Early Middle Ages. This was because of the collapse of the West Roman Empire, during the Fifth Century, and because of continued pressure from migrating peoples, whose educational system was oral, rather than written. The preservation of written education was entirely dependent on the monasteries and church in many places, though in those places where Roman law remained, such as southern France and Italy, the need for literate judges and members of the court reinforced the system a bit.

The decline in education was very intense, but it did not last all that long. Improvements began during the middle of the Early Middle Ages, with schools opening in some parts of Europe, even as other parts continued into decline. King's School in Canterbury dates from 596 AD, and half a dozen schools currently operating in England date from before 800 AD. Charlemagne, determining that the members of the court should have education available to them, bringing in scholars to his court. Alfred the Great, King of England, went a fair bit further, only fifty or sixty years later, and made it a goal that all free men would have access to education, if they had the free time and intelligence to pursue it. Universities were opening, the oldest extant being the University of Bologna, which dates from 1088.

While clergy continued to be important educators and thinkers into the High Middle Ages, an increasing number of members of the nobility and, later, middle classes were being educated through this period. By the Late Middle Ages, it was not uncommon for sons of merchants to become very educated, a prime example being Geoffrey Chaucer, (ca. 1343 to 1400) who was the father of English Literature, and the son of a wine dealer.

Answer 2

In the first half, basically just bad care. Technology and education declined. Babies under 1 year of age had a 50% death rate, so it pretty much was just people couldn't be taken care of. In the second half, they main cause was Bubonic Plague.