ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Monitorial System

Okay kiddo, have you ever heard of the word "monitor"? Well, in schools a long time ago, they had a system called the "monitorial system".

Basically, imagine that you and your classmates are playing a game outside. There's one person who is the leader and they make all the decisions. But what if there was someone else who could help the leader make decisions? That's what monitors were for.

In the monitorial system, older students were chosen to be monitors. They would help the teacher with things like keeping track of attendance, handing out papers, or even helping the younger students with their work.

This helped the teacher because they didn't have to do every little thing themselves. And it helped the monitors because they got to learn leadership skills and feel important.

The monitorial system was used in schools a long time ago because there were often too many students for just one teacher to handle. It was a way to make things run smoother and to teach important skills.