[TWI-ONLY] The Western Isles Nationbuilding Prompt 2020-2021

[The Western Isles Office of Roleplay]

Nationbuilding Prompt: July 2023

Welcome to the next Nationbuilding Prompt, where the Office of Roleplay encourages every TWI member and those wishing to join to pull the curtains back on their nation and teach us about how you do things.

For this month the Nationbuilding Prompt is:

Topics in Education

Explore your nation's education system. In particular, focus on the topics of education your nation provides to its developing children and their unique nature. You may also explore the makeup of schools and school administration in your nation.

You may particularly answer the following questions if you wish:

1. Does your government have a dedicated cabinet-level ministry/department of education? If so, when was it formed and what is its mission?
2. How does your nation's government involve itself in public education, if at all? What level of independence do subnational administrations have with regards to curriculum, financing, administration, and so on?
3. What topics are taught in your nations schools - that you the player think aren't taught elsewhere - but really should be? - special thanks to Great Altera for this particular question.
4. How many years of schooling are citizens of your nation broadly expected to receive? How many years of schooling do they actually receive on average?
5. What are the most prestigious schools (Primary, Secondary, or Tertiary) in your nation? How well regarded is the quality of their education?
6. What is the public's perception of academia in your nation? Do they believe their nation's schools are equipping the next generation properly?

[The Tsunterlands]

Education within the Tsunterlands

Does your government have a dedicated cabinet-level ministry/department of education? If so, when was it formed and what is its mission? The Tsunterlands has the Ministry for Education, led by the Minister for Education, who is a member of the Council of Ministers and subordinate only to the Grand Conclave, the collective Head of Government of the Tsunterlands. The Ministry was originally formed in the late 1950s as the Tsunterlands was recovering from the devastation of the Imperial War and the authoritarian Cooperative Party began to heavily invest in education to develop the Tsunter economy and try to lower levels of systemic poverty within the country. The Ministry has transformed several times being invariably merged and split with Ministries for Science. The current form of the ministry dates back to the mid 1990s.

How does your nation's government involve itself in public education, if at all? What level of independence do subnational administrations have with regards to curriculum, financing, administration, and so on? Academic institutions within the Tsunterlands are divided between state schools, cooperative academys and cultural schools.

Every child attends a state school between the ages of 5 to 14 - state schools are split between Junior Schools (age 5 to 11) and Senior Schools (ages 11 to 14). The curriculum is set by the government and standardized across the nation and funding is controlled directly by Ministry for Education which employs Bursers who might oversee the funding over several schools in a geographic district. Parents have little input on funding or the curriculum and must rely on their clan leadership and clan representatives within the Clan Parley in order to communicate concerns about schools to the Ministry for education. Even this option is unavailable to individuals who belong to non-Tsunter ethnic minorities such as Mauricians and Salimanasians who must rely on members of the national assembly to hold the Ministry for Education to account. state schools in ethnic minority areas are usually underfunded and thus have lower standards of education.

Cooperative Academies include both Higher Education Schools (catering for students ages 14 to 17) and universities (catering for students age 17s and up). These schools are distinguishable for two features. First, they are "Privately funded", although most students rely on the clans to pay for them to attend - although not all clans are able or willing to send every potential student, and non-Tsunters must rely on scholarships or their own money to attend. Second, they allow students a considerably large ability to shape their own education, either through individually selecting areas of study, electing representatives who can control the curriculum, financing and assessment structure of the school, or by directly voting on these features. Most of these institutions do however mandate a few compulsory classes on literacy and Maths skills.

Cultural Schools are run and funded directly by the Clans of the Tsunterlands. They focus on teaching younger Tsunters about their clan's specific history and culture whilst teaching some older Tsunter's vocational skills specific to any companies that clan operates. The quality of education within these cultural schools can vary wildly. They are naturally non available to Non-Tsunters living within the Tsunterlands.

What topics are taught in your nations schools - that you the player think aren't taught elsewhere - but really should be? - special thanks to Great Altera for this particular question.
As I said on the RMB, there is a specific emphasis on teaching children about their legal rights as workers within the Tsunterlands, which is something I OOCly believe should be better taught across the world.

What are the most prestigious schools (Primary, Secondary, or Tertiary) in your nation? How well regarded is the quality of their education?
Domestically, some Cooperative Academies (Secondary education) are highly regarded for having had their curriculems be shaped by the students overtime to specialise in certain areas. Thanks to these reputations many clans want to send as many students there as possible increasing the funding they receive and bolstering education standards. Other Cooperative Academies are well known for having a sense of "school spirit" and espousing certain values, or are otherwise well known for succeeding at inter-school sporting events.

The Tsunterlands as a couple of a highly regarded (and highly competitive) universities which are well known on an international stage. The National University of the Tsunterlands (based in the capital city, Barbarossa), the country's oldest university (founded in 1929) is seen as the country's top university, producing top politicians, civil servants and leaders of industry. Many see a degree from the university a essentially guaranteeing a stable and prosperous career. The University of Barbarossa is also well known for its medical programmes producing many of the country's doctors and surgeons. University of Gothray (formerly Regional University of the Long Hook) has become increasingly famous of its courses in robotics design and computer sciences. Finally Calloway University (based in the city of Fowling) is a well-known art school, although it has been criticised for its association with the Seaward Media Group and its controversial CEO Allnight Calloway

How many years of schooling are citizens of your nation broadly expected to receive? How many years of schooling do they actually receive on average?
Tsunters essentially have two education tracts. Either they can take 14 years at a State School and then enter the workforce or more likely go into a clan-sponsored apprenticeship which usually lasts 3 years. The other tract is too go into a co-op academy at 14 and then go to the university for thee years at 17, leaving with a degree at 20. Regardless the expected and average number of years of education is about 17 years.

What is the public's perception of academia in your nation? Do they believe their nation's schools are equipping the next generation properly?
State Schools are generally disregarded as a being tax-payer funded childcare which does little to teach Tsunters meaningful life skills- many Tsunters believe primary education should be handled entirely by the clans and the government shouldn't be involved. Co-operative Academies and Universities however are very well viewed within the Tsunterlands. There is a lot of pressure on young people to go to university either in the Tsunterlands or abroad.

[Remodio]

1. Remodio does have a special department for education that has existed since independence in 1974 as established by the first Rhumba. It's mission is to oversee educational standards and make sure education is in line with Chuuṣoostee culture.

2. Remodin federal government oversees all public education by setting standards, funding the creation and running of schools, and paying teachers. Administrators are determined by the education department of the government.

3. The Chuuṣoostee language is likely only taught in Remodio, as well as Remodin history (as is to be expected).

4. Schooling usually occurs from ages 6-19, about 13 years, but there are higher education opportunities that, on average, take about 5 more years.

5. The most prestigious primary schools are all located in Ioodiisitie, but their education isn't significantly better than anywhere else, they just have better opportunities due to location.

6. The public is indifferent to academia - they feel like it is just another part of life and that schools, for the most part, are doing a good enough job equipping the next generation. They feel as if it primarily the job of the parents to fill in the gaps, if they perceive any.

[Bavarno]

Does your government have a dedicated cabinet-level ministry/department of education? If so, when was it formed and what is its mission?
- Yes, the Ministry of Education, established in 1962. Its main purpose is to regulate the school systems of Bavarno's federal states and to ensure the equality of education between these systems.

How does your nation's government involve itself in public education, if at all? What level of independence do subnational administrations have with regards to curriculum, financing, administration, and so on?
- Federal standards have to be followed in regard to student rights and the minimum pay for teachers set by Parliament, and for certain parts of curriculum about Bavarnan national history, mathematics, advanced classes, and the Bavarnan language which is set by the Ministry of Education.

What topics are taught in your nation's schools - that you the player think aren't taught elsewhere - but really should be? - special thanks to Great Altera for this particular question.
- The major one is the Bavarnan language, which isn't widely spoken or taught outside of Bavarno, and especially not outside of the Mesder Sea region.

How many years of schooling are citizens of your nation broadly expected to receive? How many years of schooling do they actually receive on average?
- It is mandatory to attend school from age 6 to age 18, with higher education being optional. Higher education is not free, although many states have scholarship programs for low-income but high-achieving students to receive financial aid to attend a college of their choice.

What are the most prestigious schools (Primary, Secondary, or Tertiary) in your nation? How well regarded is the quality of their education?
- The south of Bavarno is well known for its advanced state universities (think of it like New England with the Ivy League schools, but with less international renown).

What is the public's perception of academia in your nation? Do they believe their nation's schools are equipping the next generation properly?
- Most of the public perceives education as necessary to live a well-informed and fulfilling life, and this is reflected in the public's trust in the nation's education system.

Bavarno's public school system also concludes with each student taking the National Student Aptitude Assessment, which acts mostly as a "report card" for the student's school and teachers. Funding is not tied to the NSAA, but it is used as one part of a review process to determine the efficacy of a school and its teachers.

[Kravato]

Does your government have a dedicated cabinet-level ministry/department of education? If so, when was it formed and what is its mission?
The Kravatoan Government has a cabinet-level department of education, called the Ministry of Education. The Office was originally formed as the Chancellery of Royal Universities, a department of Royal University Headmasters formed in 1612 by King Jorv III to standardize what was taught among the major and minor royal colleges, such as the Royal College of Tuxernobli and Kaplo Crown College. In 1675 the Chancellery was made subordinate to the Chief Executive of the Republic (CER), often called simply the Prime Minister. It was the Chancellor of Royal Universities who was one of the first Ministers, among the Minister of War, Trade, and Domain. In 1722 the duties of the Chancellery were expanded to the creation of secondary schools as commissioned by the CER and not the king. Before this expansion most secondary schools were religious. The Chancellery was made into a full Ministry, the Ministry of Schooling, with the original Chancellery minimized to just managing the Royal Colleges.

The Ministry of Schooling saw an increase in size and funding during the 1821 Republic's lifespan, but shrunk with the New Constitution of 1833 as the role of constructing primary, secondary, and tertiary institutions except for those specifically chartered by the King as Royal Universities were given to the states, however in the late 1850s the Ministry revived its relevance as the chief regulator of these institutions, and ensured that national education regulations were enforced in each state, and that state school districts were mostly uniform in teachings. In the 1920s it was renamed the Ministry of Education for a broader and more relevant name.

The official mission upon its commissioning in 1722 were to "Ensure the ample education of all Kravatoan youth into their adulthood, so that they shall find work for many a trade and contribute to the Kingdom upon reaching maturity." Finding work for many a trade has been defined by the court as meaning to give a vast education that would prepare youth for their future careers, and contribution to the Kingdom upon reaching maturity has been defined as being informed upon their rights and responsibilities to the kingdom, as well as equipped enough as to not become a financial burden for the government in adulthood.

How does your nation's government involve itself in public education, if at all? What level of independence do subnational administrations have with regards to curriculum, financing, administration, and so on?

The Ministry of Education enforces education-related laws made by the Forum among the nation's primary, secondary, and tertiary schools. As mentioned before, they do also manage the Royal Colleges. Subnational administrations are managed by each state and the finances provided for them are provided by the state they are in.

What topics are taught in your nations schools - that you the player think aren't taught elsewhere - but really should be? - special thanks to Great Altera for this particular question.

Almost all Kravatoan schools feature a set of "special electives", or Skill Classes that can be taken with language classes and traditional electives. Some examples of these Skill Classes are Entrepreneurship, First Aid and Survival, Fitness (different from P.E.), and Navigation though different schools offer many others.

How many years of schooling are citizens of your nation broadly expected to receive? How many years of schooling do they actually receive on average?

Kravatoan students are mandated to be educated in primary and secondary schools from the ages of 5-17, but are expected to remain in school until the age of 18 as is most common. This can be split between four institutions, Child School (5-6), Elementary School (6-11), Junior High School (11-14), and High School (14-18). The title of each institution is often different depending on the state it is in. Most tertiary education will last a student around 4-5 years depending on the degree and college, with most attending college completing it around the age of 22 to 23.

What are the most prestigious schools (Primary, Secondary, or Tertiary) in your nation? How well regarded is the quality of their education?

While most schools are typically equal in quality, primary and secondary schools in northern states such as Volova, Palvia, and Walovria are considered the best while schools in Balno-Sarmosa are considered some of the worst due to local government overlook. As far as government tertiary education goes Royal Colleges are considered superior. The best of the non-royally chartered state colleges are considered to be Odesvo State University and Volova State University. Tertiary education is mostly occupied by private institutions however, with some of the best being the University of Tuxernobli, Sv. Luko's University, Loila University, and Pakilnats College.

What is the public's perception of academia in your nation? Do they believe their nation's schools are equipping the next generation properly?

Most Kravatoans find pride in their education system. Except for in states where there are outlying issues with education (Balno-Sarmosa and a few others), most states maintain the same public education budget in order to ensure that the system does not dwindle or over-expand.

[Biaten]

1. Does your government have a dedicated cabinet-level ministry/department of education? If so, when was it formed and what is its mission?

Education in Biaten is run by the Ministry of Education. The Ministry of Education was established in 1886 by the conservative Hayden-Jacobs Government in order to oversee the new system of state education, which at the time only required 1 penny per week, before it was lowered to 1 penny per month in 1891, then it was made completely free by the People's Act 1922, passed by the first Social Democratic government. The Ministry of Education’s mission is to oversee the management of education nationwide and setting education policy.

2. How does your nation's government involve itself in public education, if at all? What level of independence do subnational administrations have with regards to curriculum, financing, administration, and so on?

The Ministry of Education sets out a basic curriculum that all schools, public or private, must teach and examine, such as Leocaean, English, Mathematics and Science. However, there is room for flexibility at the local level. Individual schools have, to a degree, freedom to develop their own teaching methods, choose textbooks and design educational programs.

Biatenian education is financed by local government, regional government and national government. Each school must receive at least 1,600 Thalers ($1,900) per student (1,000 Thalers from the national government, 500 Thalers from the regional government and 100 Thalers from the local government). Individual schools are to allocate this funding as they see fit, although regional governments often set mandatory minimums on certain subjects.

The Ministry of Education sets regulations and guidelines for school administration, including matters related to school governance, teacher qualifications and accountability. Each school is overseen by an 11-member Board of Governors, consisting of: the headteacher, 2 members elected by parents, 2 members elected by teachers, 2 members elected by local government, 2 appointed by regional government and 2 appointed by national government (Ministry of Education). Headteachers, or Chancellors for Universities, are elected by the Board of Governors. Headteachers set the school budget with the approval of the Board of Governors.

3. What topics are taught in your nations schools - that you the player think aren't taught elsewhere - but really should be? - special thanks to Great Altera for this particular question.

Self Defence: Secondary schools in Leocaea and Auvia are required to teach at least 1 year of self-defence to students.

Politics: GCE (General Certificate of Education) students aged 14-16, as well as ACE (Advanced Certificate of Education) students aged 16-18 may take politics as a subject.

4. How many years of schooling are citizens of your nation broadly expected to receive? How many years of schooling do they actually receive on average?

Every Biatenian is required to attend primary school between the age of 5 and 11, secondary school between 11 and 16, and further education between 16 and 18. Biatenians can also attend free University for 3-4 years after leaving compulsory education. In total, Biatenians are expected to receive 16 years of education. The average Biatenian receives 14 years of education.

5. What are the most prestigious schools (Primary, Secondary, or Tertiary) in your nation? How well regarded is the quality of their education?

Biaten has several prestigious schools that attract talented students and teachers. Here’s a list of some of a few of the most prestigious and well-known schools and universities in Biaten:

• The University of Madame Blue (UMB) – Prestigious university in the North of Hachen, originally established by 18th century wealthy heiress and philanthropist Lady Adelaide Blue, commonly referred to as Madame Blue. UMB is the largest university in Biaten and one of the oldest universities in Gael. It offers a wide range of academic disciplines and is recognized for its research and educational excellence across various fields.
• University of Hachen (UoH) – Another prestigious university in Biaten, known for its excellence in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
• Bardham University (BU) – A research university specialising in STEM fields. It consistently ranks among the top universities nationally and is highly regarded for its cutting-edge research and innovative teaching methods.
• Riverview Secondary School – A prestigious secondary school located in Lion City. It provides a diverse and comprehensive curriculum, emphasising academics, arts and sports.
• Meadows Institute – A private school that provides both primary and secondary education, and one of the few remaining private schools in Gepripris. It’s recognised for its rigorous academic program, multilingualism and emphasis on art and culture.

6. What is the public's perception of academia in your nation? Do they believe their nation's schools are equipping the next generation properly?

The public perception of education in Biaten is generally positive. The Biatenian people value education and recognise the importance of a well-equipped and knowledgeable next generation. There are, however, ongoing debates and discussions about certain aspects, such as discussions on whether or not exams should be kept or scrapped for assessments, as well as whether or not the secondary school age should be raised to 12.