Education in Ottonia
| Federal Department of Education | |
|---|---|
| Director of Education | Karlotta Skyldsunn |
| General details | |
| Primary languages | Allamunnic, Eonese (regional) |
| System type | National |
| Literacy (2015) | |
| Total | 99.9 |
| Male | 99.9 |
| Female | 99.9 |
| Enrollment | |
| Total | n/a |
| Primary | 99.9% (graduating) |
| Secondary | 99.9% |
| Post secondary | 75% |
| Attainment | |
| Secondary diploma | 95% |
| Post-secondary diploma | 60% |
Education is mandatory for all youths from ages 5 to 16. All youths up to the age of 20 are entitled to a public education, often referred to as the Standard Education.
History of Education in North Ottonia
Postwar
For the first few years following the Ottonian Revolution, the educational system in the new Ottonian Federal Republic more-or-less mirrored the pre-Revolution system seen in the unified Ottonia, albeit while tamping down some of the more flagarant inequalities in that system. However, due to the other major crises facing the nascent republic, educational reform was considered a lower-tier priority, especially under the three-year Premiership of Junna Braandur.
Hendrsunn Administration
Education became a priority with the election of Eleonur Hendrsunn in 1959, who campaigned heavily on (among other things) the need to modernize the Ottonian educational system to better fit the nation's democratic ideals. Riding a wave of reformist fervor, Hendrsunn and her coalition allies in the Folksmoot wasted little time pushing through the Education Reform & Restructuring Act of 1960. Although it would take most of a decade to implement all of the changes outlined in the act (including the new division of school levels, required teacher qualifications, budgeting systems, and acceptable disciplinary measures), by 1970 the Standard Education was more-or-less recognizable in its near-modern form. Key to the system was that students would have access to a high-quality education necessary to prepare them for life and good citizenship at no direct cost to families.
Although numerous tweaks were necessary to tailor the reforms to conditions on the ground, as well as adjusting curriculae, the educational system remained more or less stable throughout Hendrsunn's administration and those of her immediate successors.
Present
Although the Standard Education and the nation's higher education system remains in a very similar form to that established under Hendrsunn, changes have taken place, most notably over the past fifteen years in regards to curriculum. As consumer electronics and computers in particular proliferated around the world and, increasingly, North Ottonia, changes have been made to emphasize technological literacy, including making technology courses part of the core curriculum in the Standard Education.
Most of the major policy debates of the past 30 years have been over the extent to which education should be administered and directed at a state, provincial, and prefectural level versus federal. Traditionally budgeting and overall priorities are set at the federal level, with funds allocated to lower jurisdictions to implement them. However, advocates for more devolved government have argued that greater control to state and prefectural governments would enable better tailoring of resources to local needs, while proponents of the centralized model say that the national standard is important in maintaining the overall quality of education in North Ottonia.
Modern Education in North Ottonia
Standard Education
The core of education in North Ottonia is the Standard Education (sometimes shortened to StandEd). While enrollment in Standard Education is mandatory between the ages of 5 and 16 for a total of ten academic years, youths are entitled to remain enrolled up through the age of 20, when they will have completed a total of 15 academic years. In practice, very few students drop out at the ten-year mark; more common is dropping out at the thirteen-year mark (when a student would be 18), and the majority end up completing the entire 15 year track.
This is partially due to the existence of penalties meant to discourage youths from prematurely discontinuing their education without good reason. However, also important in this high graduation rate is the power of peer pressure and the importance ingrained in North Ottonian youths in completing Standard Education, both for educational reasons but also as a sort of national rite of passage.
Primary School
Primary school in Standard Education is usually referred to as Day School (often called "D-School" or "D-Level"). It consists of six academic years, with children of age 5 enrolling and graduating at age 11. Day School is relatively lightly structured; the first two or three years of Day School consist largely of educational games and activities in which children learn the alphabet and early writing, basic mathematics, science, and begin to be introduced to a second language in basic terms. Moreover, formal grades are not assessed in Day School; while assessments maybe give and graded to gauge children's progress in learning material. While it is possible for a child to be held back a grade if they are having serious trouble progressing academically, this is relatively rare.
The amount of time per day spent in school for Day school students is relatively long compared to later grades; this is in large part to ensure that children are not left at home unattended while parents may be working or older siblings may still be in class. As such, Day School also serves a rather explicit daycare function.
Grade levels in Day school are denoted by "D" followed by the year of progression. They are, with their accompanying age ranges (age at entry to age at progression):
- D1 - Ages 5 to 6
- D2 - Ages 6 to 7
- D3 - Ages 7 to 8
- D4 - Ages 8 to 9
- D5 - Ages 9 to 10
- D6 - Ages 10 to 11
Basic School
After a youth completes six years of Day School, they matriculate to Basic School (often called "B-School" or "B-Level"), which is essentially an extended middle school or lower secondary school. Basic School consists of six academic years, with students from ages 11 thru 16. Starting here, study becomes more rigorous, with formal grades being assigned while youths are given more freedom in their course selection; outside of a core curriculum, they have free choice of any elective courses that they are eligible for (when requirements exist they are usually based on past courses taken or age, depending on the elective). Core subjects include Allamunnic language & writing, mathematics, science, history & civics, technology, physical education, and second language. Common electives are home economics, hardware, more in-depth writing and history courses, and arts classes.
Notably, Civics classes are mandatory at B5 level. Typically at the conclusion of the course, B5 students take the National Basic Civics Assessment (NBCA), which must be passed with a mark of 80% or higher to achieve full franchise and eligibility for public office and civil service professions in North Ottonia.
When a youth completes their B5 year, they are considered to have completed the mandatory segment of the Standard Education; at this point, students may discontinue their education, although this incurs penalties such as a dramatically-increased likelihood of conscription into the Federal Guard or Service Corps, as well as missing out on the Advanced School experience with their peers. Youths who choose to drop out typically do so to continue a family business or trade (in which case they will continue less-formal training on the job) or to enter Junior Officer Candidate Training for the North Ottonian Federal Defense Service. Those without a very clear rationale for dropping out at the conclusion of Basic School tend to experience strong pressure from kin, peers, and mentor figures to continue to Advanced School.
Grade levels in Basic School are denoted by a "B" followed by the year of progression. They are, with their accompanying age ranges (listed as age at entry to age at progression):
- B1 - Ages 11 to 12
- B2 - Ages 12 to 13
- B3 - Ages 13 to 14
- B4 - Ages 14 to 15
- B5 - Ages 15 to 16
Advanced School
Advanced School (sometimes called "A-School" or "A-Level") serves as an upper secondary school. It consists of four academic years, encompassing students between 16 and 20 years of age. Here, education becomes significantly more specialized; students matriculating from Basic School have typically been encouraged to start focusing their education into areas of possible professional interest, although the first two years are mostly concerned with some final general education courses. Starting with the A3 level, students are generally funneled into a proper program where they can prepare either for a specific profession or apprenticeship, or for higher post-secondary education.
A-level students are granted the most autonomy of anyone in the Standard Education system. Their class days can vary wildly in length based on course load and scheduling, and may even fall outside what would be normal school hours in Day or Basic School. By this point students are also typically involved significantly in an extracurricular club which may take a large amount of their time outside the school day.
It is more common for students to drop out after their first two years of Advanced School than it is for them to drop out after the end of Basic School, since the penalties incurred are similar in nature but less severe, and 18-year olds often are able to find jobs with longer-term prospects or are needed to work at a family business. Still, the vast majority of those that enroll in A-School tend to graduate on time.
Program groups in A-School often become close-knit, and it is notable that celebrations and extra-curricular partying at this level tends to be more adult-oriented; students are often beginning to be able to legally use intoxicants and school or organizationally-sanctioned festivities become fairly frequent at this level. This culminates with the "Week of Farewells" when graduating A-Level students tend to party, drink heavily, and play public pranks in the third week of December, after schools have typically ended but Midwinter Festivities have not yet begun.
Grade levels in Advanced School are denoted by an "A" followed by the year of progression. They are, with their accompanying age ranges (listed as age at entry to age at progression):
- A1 - Ages 16 to 17
- A2 - Ages 17 to 18
- A3 - Ages 18 to 19
- A4 - Ages 19 to 20
Higher Education
North Ottonia has a fairly extensive higher education system. In addition to the ten "prestige universities" (City-based universities that pre-date the unification of Ottonia), there are also five state university systems each with multiple campuses. The state university systems administer several university colleges, primarily aimed at vocational and pre-professional degree programs typically not exceeding master's degree in level. Meanwhile, the flagship universities, alongside the "prestige universities" are the primary institutions for the earning of PhD-level degrees (although they also offer lower-level degrees, as well), as well as being the primary destinations for foreign students seeking to study in North Ottonia.
Teachers in North Ottonia
Teachers universally must have attained a bachelor's level degree, at minimum, and this is all that is generally required to teach at the D-Level. Teachers at that level are referred to as "Mister", "Miss", or "Mix" (pronounced "micks") unless they hold a doctorate which would entitle them to be referred to as "doctor."
At the B-Level, teachers are almost invariably the holders of master's degrees, although it is possible to teach B-Level with a bachelor's degree with additional certifications. At this level, teachers are almost always referred to as "Instructor" or "Ins" for short.
At the A-Level, teachers must, at minimum, hold a master's degree (usually with additional certifications), and teachers with doctoral degrees are quite common. At this level, "professor" is the normal form address for a teacher, although some with PhD's may prefer "doctor."
Teachers at a post-secondary level are all-but-required to hold doctorates in their relevant field(s). Although it is not theoretically impossible for someone with a master's degree and considerable additional certifcation to teach at a post-secondary level, it is vanishingly rare for this to actually occur.
Calendar
The North Ottonian academic year is divided into three 14-week terms, sometimes called trimesters. The academic year begins roughly on the third week of January. There is a three-day break around the vernal equinox in March, to accompany the festivities around the beginning of spring. The term ends in the second week of April, and a three-week break separates the end of spring term from the summer term.
The summer term begins in the second week of May. In mid-/late June, there is a three day break lining up with Midsummer, to allow students to attend and participate in Midsummer festivities, as well as a single day break on July 11th for Republic Day. The summer term ends around the second week of August, with another three week break that concludes after the first week of September marking the start of the fall term.
Fall term is punctuated by festivities; while the term starts in early/mid September, there are typically relaxed school hours or even days off during a municipality's folk festival, which can fall anywhere from September 15th to October 15th, with the majority falling in the week after September 21st. Students often receive another proper break for Halloween and Thanksgiving the following day. Finally, the fall term generally concludes around the second week of December, leaving the remainder of the month and the first two weeks of January to separate the academic year from the next.
Culture
Extracurricular Clubs
At the Basic School level, clubs also become more important; club sports are popular and widely-followed, while professional interest clubs help students start to learn about professions they may be interested in. It is generally strongly-encouraged for students to have at least one club they are actively involved in, although many will also maintain less-active membership in other clubs, especially recreational clubs. While the school day for Basic School is notably shorter than that of Day School, many students will spend between 1 and 2 hours per day (usually closer to the former) extra on school grounds in club activities.
Clubs typically get more involved as students go into Advanced School, taking up more of their time each week to accompany the greater degree of autonomy and schedule flexibility that students at that level have.
Festivities & Social Events
The active Ottonian love of festivities and parties carries over to their school environment as well, to some degree. Starting in Basic School and carrying into Advanced School, students often take time to celebrate holidays and mix with their peers socially.