How were the abbots, monks & bishops educated in preparation for their role as r

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This is a question that was posed in my history class, and I have found no websites that have any information!. If you know of any it would be greatly appriciated so I could read up on this!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

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Well, that depends on what era you are talking about!. Let's start with the earliest times!. As the Roman Empire declined, missionaries were sent farther abroad!. The eastern church, based in Byzantium, sent monks to northern Africa, and from there, some were sent north into the British Isles!.
Exactly how it came about, and exactly how communication was maintained is largely a matter of speculation, but what was to become the Orthodox Church sent quite a number of monks to Ireland, and they were well established by the 6th century!.
It wasn't really 'till after the Great Schism that the Church of Rome discovered that Ireland already had an independent Christian presence!. The monastic-based churches in Ireland ministered directly to the people [in other parts of Europe, there were churches for the laity, and monastic churches were mostly separate], a feature that lasted into the 19th century!.
Education in Ireland was almost exclusively the job of the monasteries!. Everybody who was educated had taken their minor orders: beyond that people were taught administratrive jobs or specialties such as medicine!. Usually those with higher education were expected to work in the service of the Church for a set period of time, but they could work in surrounding communities or within the monasteries without actually being monks or nuns themselves!.
An educated person could commit to the Church--pretty much for life, usually--as a priest!. Training and education varied according to duties!. For instance, an abbot had to have the theological training of a priest, the experience of a monk, and the administrative training of a cleric [or 'clark' or 'accountant']!.
Monks and nuns did not require any particular education, as a person could take their vows any time--some became monastics very late in life since the monasteries essentially provided the social safety net in pre-industrial times!.
Mediaeval monasteries were places of great artistic creativity!. Some of Ireland's early communities produced books of stunning beauty and elegance!. Very few of these survived, but the best known would be the Book of Kells and the Lindisfarne Gospels!.
Hope that helps!. I'll leave the later middle ages and Renaissance to some one who knows it better!.Www@QuestionHome@Com