From that direct quote of William of Conchos, it sounds as if there was resistance to the education. He must have been a liberal. :^P

Well it looks as if Europe was on the verge of moving forward with education. Though more information, would be nicer. I find the separation of church and state thing very interesting, for a couple of reasons. Not that I have much study of those times, but I always equated the monarchy with direct connections to the church.

I would add to your last comment, that conservative theocracies have the most negative impact, though the term conservative theocracy is probably redundant.

Math Contest in France:
Q: In the beginning, there were 10000 French soldiers, split up into 4 equal groups cover the north, south, east, and west. If Barbarians attacked from the south and east, how many French troops would be left?
A: None. They would have all retreated before making their posts.
A retreat is more than a vacation in France, its a way of life. ;)