England: History and People Education in England has a long and distinguished history. Some of its most famous schools and universities were founded in the Middle Ages and are among the oldest in Europe. Education remained for long the privilege of a small elite group, and education for everyone did not appear until the beginning of the 20th century. Everyone between the ages of 5 and 16 must now go to school. Children generally first attend primary schools, though many under-5-year- olds attend nursery schools or "playgrounds." They generally transfer to secondary school at the age of 11. Most attend comprehensive schools, which accept pupils without reference to ab