<P> In the 18th century, states were paying more attention to their educational systems because they recognized that their subjects are more useful to the state if they are well educated . The conflicts between the crown and the church helped the expansion of the educational systems . In the eyes of the church and the state, universities and colleges were institutions that existed to maintain the dominance of one over the other . The downside of this conflict was that the freedom of thought on the subjects taught in these institutions was restricted . An educational institution was either a supporter of the monarchy or the religion, never both . </P> <P> Also, changes in educational criteria for higher income professions such as lawyers and physicians became stricter, e.g., requirements to have certain educational experience before being licensed, helped to promote increases in the numbers of students attending universities and colleges . </P> <P> The explosion of the print culture, which started in the 15th century with Johannes Gutenberg's printing press, was both a result of and a cause of the increase in literacy . The number of books published in the period of the Enlightenment increased dramatically due to the increase in demand for books, which resulted from the increased literacy rates and the declining cost and easier availability of books made possible by the printing press . There was a shift in the percentages of books printed in various categories during the 17th century . </P> <P> Religious books had comprised around 50% of all books published in Paris at that time . However, the percentage of religious books dropped to 10% by 1790 and there was an increase in the popularity of books such as almanacs . The scientific literature in French might have increased slightly but mostly it remained fairly constant throughout the 18th century . However, contemporary literature seems to have increased as the century progressed . Also, there was a change in the languages that books were printed in . Before the 18th century, a large percentage of the books were published in Latin . As time progressed, there was a decline in the percentage of books published in Latin . Concurrently, the percentage of books published in French, and other languages, increased throughout Europe . </P>

Who developed a method of printing that greatly stimulated the growth of literacy