While many European rulers fought to improve educational opportunities for their subjects, they offered little change for women and girls. Why?

Lesser Educational opportunities are given to European women and girls than boys because the former were considered secondary and they were thought to serve the men only.

Explanation:

Education system was given less importance during the end of the Roman Empire as war became the major concern. Attaining of power and position by the European rulers were solely dependent on wars or inheritance, not on education.

In Medieval Europe the great influence of Church initiated the improvement of educational system. More educational opportunities were given to the upper class men than women and lower class women were completely deprived of education.

As they were considered as the serving material for men and whatever education were offered to them were solely based on their improvement as a house wife.

Women and girls were not thought of back then for having the same rights as men. Men were seen as powerful and superior rather than women who were seen as nonsuperior. They didn't want women to have the same amount of power that men had.