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School life in Ancient Athens. Education in Ancient Greece. Who went to school?. Only boys went to school in Ancient Athens Girls were taught at home by their mothers. A few girls learnt how to read and write, but many did not.
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School life in Ancient Athens Education in Ancient Greece
Who went to school? • Only boys went to school in Ancient Athens • Girls were taught at home by their mothers. • A few girls learnt how to read and write, but many did not. • You had to pay to go to school, so poor boys did not get much education. • A wealthy family sent a slave to walk to school with the boys. The slave stayed at school to keep an eye on them during lessons.
How old did you have to be? • At age 3, children were given small jugs – this was a sign that babyhood was over. • Boys went to school at the age of 7. • Most Greek schools had fewer than 20 boys, and classes were often held outdoors. • Boys stayed at school until they were 13 or 14.
What did children learn? • Girls learned housework, cooking and skills such as weaving at home. • Boys (at school) learned reading, writing, arithmetic, music and poetry. • Part of the lessons included learning stories and poems by heart. • Boys did athletics, to keep fit and prepare them for war as soldiers. They ran, jumped, wrestled and practised throwing a spear and a discus. They trained on a sports ground called a gymnasium.
What did they use at school? • Children wrote on wooden tablets covered in soft wax, using a pointed stick called a stylus. • They used an abacus, with beads strung on wires or wooden rods, to help with maths. • They would have all had packed lunches. • Books were very rare and expensive, so they had to memorize everything.
