[originaltext] At the start of the Middle Ages in Europe, there were no scho

At the start of the Middle Ages in Europe, there were no schools, as we know them today. There were no grade schools or high schools. There were no universities where young men could learn professions such as law or medicine. The only schools were in churches or monasteries. Except for some priests and monks, few people could read or write.
    As time went on, many young men needed an education so they could learn a profession. In order to get an education, they had to be taught by teachers in a church school.
    Some churchmen became known as great teachers. Wherever there was a great teacher, young men gathered to live and study. Then other teachers came to teach the subjects they knew best. A center of learning was formed.
    Around A.D. 1100, a famous center of learning grew up around the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris, France. A well-known teacher named Peter Abelard was there. Thousands of students came to Paris from all over Europe. Many teachers came too, and gave classes of their own.
    Sometime between A.D. 1150 and A.D. 1170, the teachers formed a group that was much like a union. This group became the University of Paris. The University of Paris was one of the early universities. It had many teachers who taught different subjects, and it served as a model for other such universities.