Education in the Elizabethan era was a privilege reserved mostly for the male population of the upper and middles classes, however females of the upper class and nobility were often given a strong education as well. All education during this era began in the home by parents who taught their children the basics of manners, respect, devotion to religion and their place in society. All female members of the household learned at an early age to be obedient to males. At this point the girls of lower and middle class families were taught the necessities of womanly life, such as cooking, childcare and sewing, occasionally with chances to learn dance and music.
The formal education of the boys and girls of nobility was conducted by personal tutors who visited their home. The males who could not afford tutors first attended Petty Schools from ages 5-7, where they would go to the home of the teacher for lessons. During these years the boys would learn the basics of reading and writing, learn the catechism and the elements of proper behavior.
From ages 7-14 boys attended Grammar School. Teachers for the 7-10 year olds were often junior and senior students, and it is during these years they learned the beginnings of Latin. Boys ages 10 to 14 continued their education of Latin to English and English to Latin translations and began studying the great literary works of classical authors like Horace and Virgil.
Elizabethan Grammar School was quite strict. Boys attended school beginning at 6a.m. and ending at 5p.m., with a two hour break in the middle of the day. Attendance was required every day of the week except Sunday, when they were expected to attend church. In fact the first order of business on Monday mornings was a test on what they learned during Sunday's sermon.
While the basis of religion was taught at home, it was heavily studied in school as well. The catechism was an Elizabethan book that outlined all the details of Christendom. This book was well taught in Petty School, including the memorization of certain passages. The Horn Book was used in Grammar School as the most important element in teaching reading and writing skills by using the English alphabet found in this book.
After completing Grammar School, 14 year old boys continued their education by attending university, usually at Cambridge or Oxford. There they had five choices of study to pursue - law, medicine, theology, liberal arts and the arts. Generally it was only the wealthy upper class that continued their education to this level, as part of the studies included traveling abroad. At this time traveling abroad required permission from the monarch, thus only the wealthy or those of nobility could do this.