Education in Neveah

The vast majority of education in Neveah is state-run, although there are still a small number of both free to attend and fee-paying independent schools run by organisations; these consist mostly of international and religious schools, as well as those emphasising alternate methods of education such as Montessori schools. Aside from in private establishments, preschool, tertiary education, and higher education is also free to attend. Homeschooling is legal in Neveah, though it is rare, most commonly used for students with complex special needs, and subject to strict regulations in order to ensure that all students receive a decent standard of education. All mainstream, state-run schools in Neveah must follow a national curriculum.

School in Neveah is compulsory between the ages of 6 and 16.

## Early Childhood Education

Though not compulsory, early years education is increasingly common in Neveah, delivered through daycare centres, preschools, and kindergartens. This is usually on a part-time basis, and is intended to make the transition between home and school go more smoothly.

### Daycare

Daycare is available in Neveah for babies and toddlers under the age of 3, though individual daycares vary on the youngest age at which they will accept children. Daycare is less formal than other forms of early education, and allows children to join at any point in the school year, and to attend as much or as little as desired though most children attend only for a few hours a day, and/or a few days a week. Daycares are primarily childcare facilities, with a focus on socialisation, sensory exploration, and learning through play. Most daycare settings are privately run, although government support to allow children to attend is widely available. Legally, programs for children under 3 must have at least 1 member of staff for every 3 children attending, both for safety reasons and to ensure that children get a lot of 1:1 time with staff to support their development. Daycare programs have small group sizes, typically of around 9-12 children.

### Preschool

Preschool is a 1-year program for children aged 3-4, and the first stage of education in Neveah to be typically state-run. The curriculum in preschool is still mostly based around learning through play, though it increasingly begins to introduce structured activities including music, drama, art, sports, counting/pattern games, and gardening. Preschool typically runs for 5 days a week, though usually only in the mornings.

### Kindergarten

Kindergarten is the first education stage to run on a full-time basis, and lasts for two years, for children aged 4-6. Kindergarten is again still mostly (around 60%) play-based, but aims to prepare children for school by getting them used to pre-academic concepts such as shape, number, and letters. The main developmental areas focused on in kindergarten are communication (speaking, listening, songs, and stories), physical development (outdoor play, sports, and sensory activities), literacy (phonics, handwriting, reading or being read to), numeracy (number, shape, counting, and construction), understanding the world (trips out into the community, nature, sensory gardening), creative expression (art, music, dance, and imaginary play), and social and emotional development.

## Further Education

Further Education, generally referred to as and taught at a college, is a stage in Nevean education between compulsory schooling and university and/or employment for those age 16-18. Although not compulsory, some form of further education is very common in Neveah, with only about 25% of students choosing to leave education after completion of senior school. A college education is necessary for admission to university, and in addition to those careers with specific associated vocational qualifications, many jobs in general may require or at least strongly prefer a college-level education, particularly for those that require strong English or IT skills, such as most jobs in offices, cultural institutions such as museums, healthcare, education, IT, or the public sector.

Further education is considered an "in-between" stage, designed to aid a student's transition from school to the world of higher education or work, and is marked by increased choice in terms of what material is studied, more independent study and self-directed projects, and students being treated more as adults and expected to take responsibility for their own learning, but still more guided than university programs.

### Academic Programs

Comparable to A-Levels in the UK, the most common course of study at colleges is a general academic program, sometimes referred to as "pre-university", in reference to the fact that they are the traditional entry requirements for university programs in Neveah, although not all students on such programs go on to higher education. Such programs are full time, and last for 4 terms. Students can choose any 5 subjects, which include those offered at school, in addition to further academic (eg. anthropology, astronomy, linguistics) and vocational (eg. healthcare, electronics, business studies) subjects, and receive a Level 2 Postsecondary Diploma (PSD) in each of these upon graduation. Academic college programs require prospective students to have achieved an average of at least C at high school.

### Vocational Programs

As an alternative to academic study, colleges also offer vocational diplomas in a number of fields, including such subjects as childcare, health and social care, business and administration, agriculture, construction, catering, and public services, among others. Vocational qualifications use a mix of practical and classroom-based learning, typically with three days a week at college and 1 on a work placement, and are designed to prepare students for an apprenticeship in their field. Unlike academic programs, students studying vocational diplomas do not need to have achieved specific grades in high school, though there is usually some kind of functional skills (maths, English, and IT) requirement for those who do not have these subjects.

### Life Skills and Employability Programs

For students who do not meet the entry requirements for academic programs, colleges offer a Level 1 Postsecondary Diploma. This is considered equivalent to a C-A average at high school and can be used to boost employment prospects and to access other further education opportunities. These courses are still new in Neveah, and only a small portion of students attend them.

These programs often focus on employability, with work placements throughout to allow students to develop an idea of what they want to do after college, as well as compulsory subjects such as English, Mathematics, IT, and Employability Skills, and optional ones such as Psychology, Game Design, French, and Cookery.

### Access Programs for Adult Learners

For students aged 19 or above who wish to return to education but who do not have the qualifications needed to apply to university, colleges run Access to HE programs. These are equivalent to a traditional academic college program, though due to the smaller numbers of students applying for them often run on a more limited number of subjects, with courses aimed at qualifying students in a particular area eg social science (which may include sociology, anthropology, law, and psychology) or IT. These are usually delivered on a part time (often 3x weekly) basis in order to accommodate students with other commitments.