When studying daily life in the Elizabethan era, there were two major social classes in much of England. Upper class or noble families were similar to today's upper class. However, low-class families were very different from today's low-class families. The gap between the two classes was so huge and the majority of England was poor. Most of the lower class consisted of orphans, abandoned wives, widows, the infirm and the elderly. Every class, even the middle ones, would despise anyone who is of a lower class than their own (Forgeng 21). Due to lack of education, overload of household responsibilities, and lack of social acceptance, low-class Elizabethan English children were unable to thrive. One of Queen Elizabeth's achievements was the improved education she brought to England. At the beginning of his reign, about 20% of the population could sign their names. When he died, 60% of the population could write. Both girls and boys would be taught skills appropriate to their rank in society at age six. No two schools were the same and not everyone could receive an education. The noble class would be educated at home by the best English educators. Middle-class children could attend public schools, which were not free. Education among lower class children was much more difficult to obtain (Benson and Stock World Wide Web). Most children from the lower classes were not fortunate enough to be educated. Instead, they would be taught basic social skills by their parents (Benson and Stock). If one was very intelligent he could earn a scholarship and attend a high school. A child might attend an elementary school for 5-10 years, but lower class students would only attend for a year or two... middle of paper... a replica of their parents. If a child wanted to be more successful in life, he or she would have to deceive someone into believing that he or she belonged to a higher class and hope to gain an apprenticeship from that individual. With the lack of education of the lower classes this would be extremely difficult and almost impossible. For these and other Elizabethan reasons, children of the lower classes could not even imagine a life different from that of their parents. Works Cited Benson, Sonia G. and Jennifer York Stock, eds. "Everyday life in the Elizabethan era". Gale Virtual Reference Library. Detroit UXL, 2007. Web. March 21, 2011. Forgeng, Jeffrey L. Everyday Life in Elizabethan England. 2nd ed. Santa Barbara:Greenwood Press, 2010.Salisbury, Joyce E. and Lawrence Morris. "Children in England: Fifteenth and Sixteenth Centuries." Daily life through history. ABC-CLIO, ndWeb. February 25th. 2011.