SCHOOL AND TEACHER AS SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS IN EXTREMADURA AT THE END OF ANCIENT REGIME

Abstract

This article studies the social and economic situation of education in Extremadura in the late eighteenth century on the basis of a great source of documentary wealth: «Interrogatorios de la Real Audiencia de Extremadura». We have reviewed the responses to questions on the status of the school and teachers in every village, which was reflected in the reports contained in the «Interrogatorios». There are interesting studies on this topic that collect partial data from different localities in the region. Our work tries to provide an overview of the reality of it, in the late eighteenth century. The results presented reflect the high demand for and social value of education, as well as the low financial support given to it.