What was William Shakespeare's classroom like?

Answer 1

School in Shakespeare's day was for boys aged about 8 to 14. The schoolroom was large

lit only by windows. There were no washrooms. The pupils sat on benches in front of the schoolmaster. There were no pencils, paints or paper. The boys practised writing by scratching on a piece of flattened cowhorn with a sharp point. They learnt to write Latin, the language of lawcourts, and their own language, English, and simple mathematics. If they misbehaved they could be beaten. There was no uniform, but they were supposed to wear shoes. There were text books they could borrow, or buy if they could afford. From these they had to learn long passages by heart and repeat them in class. Only those who lived near could go to school as there was no public transport. Bad weather, illness and the need to work meant only a few stayed the whole course. There was no graduation and parents could remove their child if they wanted. The schoolmaster taught all subjects by himself, but older boys also taught the younger ones. On leaving school their parents paid for them to become apprentices to tradesmen, or they became assistants to lawyers or doctors, or joined the military. Those intending to become ministers of religion or scholars went straight to the Universities of Oxford or Cambridge.