Byzantine schools are divided into three categories: state, private and church, which play an important role in Byzantine education and are indispensable.

mission school

Church schools are sponsored by churches and monasteries, and the main purpose of running schools is to train the reserve forces of church clergy. Byzantine monastery schools are completely different from monasteries in western Europe, and are specially set up for people who are determined to become monks all their lives. Therefore, its teaching content is very single, only learning language, Bible and biographies of saints.

National universities and ordinary schools

National universities and ordinary schools are the main bases of Byzantine education, open to all, and their professors are appointed and paid by the state. Before the 7th century, the courses of national universities were unrestricted, and non-Christian knowledge could be taught. Most of the Latin professors in the school come from Rome and North Africa, most of the professors of medicine and natural science come from Alexandria, and the professors of philosophy come from Athens.

Private schools and ordinary schools

After the 7th century, many famous scholars completed basic education in private schools and then entered monasteries for higher education. Many scholars set up their own private schools after their studies. The responsibility of basic education falls on private schools and ordinary schools.

Changes in educational policies

The development of Byzantine education has experienced many twists and turns, with ups and downs. Among them, Justinian's policy of ousting hundreds of schools and worshipping Christianity alone was the most serious damage to Byzantine education. Most emperors after Justinian supported education. For example, Dante Of nine established a new law school at 1045 in view of the low judicial level, requiring all lawyers to enter the school for training and pass the examination before they can formally practice, otherwise they will not be competent for the profession.

The emperor's participation and supervision

Many emperors personally supervised the work of national universities and schools, checked the quality of teaching, appointed and dismissed professors and teachers, and increased the salaries of teachers with good teaching effects by often asking some test questions. With the personal intervention and participation of the Byzantine emperor, academic activities were very active and school education developed rapidly.