Education in the Reformation
The education in Europe had been greatly affected by the Renaissance humanism as well as Protestant education. The humanist schools, however, had been meant for wealthy nobles, but the Protestant schools were geared for a greater spectrum of students. One reason for this was the fact that the Protestants needed people who were able to read the Bible. Martin Luther thought that all kids should have a chance to go to state schools because many would become administrators who helped the state out later in life. Because of that belief, he was able to get many schools built that were publicly funded. One of these cities in which Luther was able to establish a school was Saxony. There, one of Luther’s friends, Philip Melanchthon helped develop the school into 3 classes based on skill level and age. The Protestants followed this idea, and came up with the gymnasium, which focused on liberal arts. Another major school was the Genevan Academy, founded by John Calvin. The gymnasium, also known as the private school focused on Latin and Greek grammar, as well as literature and logic. The public school taught philosophy, Hebrew, Greek, and theology. This school eventually became a university that trained ministers.