In the early 1800s which region provided free elementary education?

In the early 1800s, no region in the world provided universally free elementary education. While some areas had systems of public education, they were often limited in scope, availability (often excluding girls, poor children, or minority groups), or were not truly "free" in the sense of being completely cost-free to all families. The development of universal, free public education was a gradual process that unfolded over the course of the 19th and 20th centuries.