As for the slightly less privileged middle class, they can only teach by themselves, or pay to send their children to some family teachers, which means a few students learn with one teacher.
The curriculum is also quite limited, focusing on literacy, and any other subjects require additional fees or the purchase of books by oneself.
What's considered a threshold? This is the threshold — ordinary people simply can't afford such education, let alone furthering their studies at a university.
It can be said that those in the academies are all sons and daughters of wealthy families, or like Lance's original self, those who have certain educational inheritance within the system.
Even if a commoner has strong talent, it's still difficult to cross the threshold.
Of course, there are also church schools, which are the most accessible to ordinary people. Reynard came from such a place, but as for the results... if it were truly effective, there wouldn't be so many illiterates.
