ABSTRACT
Historical sources indicate that while during the Middle Ages children had been generally apprenticed as early as possible, a change occurred during the Renaissance when the introduction of institutional education gradually led to the perception of school as a normal instrument in socializing a child. Under the influence of Renaissance thinking, schools were re-founded during the reign of Edward VI and the new ideals of gentility were established. The Renaissance movement towards more education did not apply to all children. Among the poor, children were put out to work very early, with the qualification that girls were kept at home longer to help their mothers. For children of the poor, there was usually little schooling, with some children never attending school at all but at best being taught at home by their mothers. Several objectives of female education for young women from all walks of life revealed ambiguities inherent in the projected efforts.
