Back to Schoolmen

Back to school--time to hit the books and get some new learnin'. Today, back to school is a yearly ritual. In the Middle Ages, it was a change in thinking over the course of centuries, when European schoolmen rediscovered the classics and opened new worlds of knowledge for the West.

In Europe before the 12th century, education was mostly a church matter, and most schools were attached to monasteries or cathedrals. Most students were bound to be priests or monks, who needed to be able to read the Bible, copy manuscripts, and sing in the choir. Nobles' sons sat in on classes, but the school system was Catholic all the way.

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