Education in the Empire of Lethe

**Education** throughout the galaxy is afforded to all citizens, regardless of status, but differs greatly between the nobility and commonalty. For members of noble houses, children are primarily educated through private tutors and their parents. Children often have an array of tutors, each focusing on a different aspect of a child’s education, such as a history or language, and will grow with those tutors until the child reaches the University level. As such, tutoring can be a lucrative career for an educator.

A tutor will typically provide education to multiple children in a given noble family and, up until the age of 7, children will receive the same general education as their siblings. Following the age of 7, a child's education will differ depending on whether or not they are expected to become the heir of their House.

Should a child elect to pursue education at the University level, classes are attended remotely.

### Early Childhood Education (Birth - 6 years old)

From birth until the age of 3, infants are taught basic shapes, colors, and numbers through their nannies and nurses. A handful of languages beyond the Imperial Tongue are also chosen and spoken around the child to build familiarity.

Once a child turns 3, early work with history, mathematics, and language tutors begins. One language tutor is provided to the child for each language being taught.

### Primary Education (7 - 13 years old)

Between the ages of 7 and 10 years, several tutors are added to the curriculum: science, ethics, economics, and law. It is at this point that Heirs begin to be taught separately from their non-Heir siblings to learn how to manage House affairs. They will begin to shadow their House-ruling parent in lower-stakes meetings and will be assigned extra work and topics to study.

At the age of 10, Heirs will spend half of their day with their House-ruling parent, while non-Heir children will begin shadowing them. Heirs will be given weekly independent study assignments.

### Secondary and University Education (14 - 20 years old)

Between the ages of 14 and 16 years, non-Heir children will begin to focus their studies on history and ethics to ensure they can act as adequate advisors to the Heir once they become the House ruler. They will also be given the opportunity to pursue further education on subjects in which they are particularly interested.

Meanwhile, Heirs will begin to be assessed for their ability to govern: they will be tasked with a hypothetical real-world problem to resolve and given a deadline in which to provide a solution. During this time, they are expected to lean on their tutors and all available resources to research their conclusion. The heir will present and defend their results to a panel that includes their tutors and, often, their House-ruling parent, who will provide the Heir with feedback.

Should the Heir meet their House's expectations, they may be granted a small area to govern so that they may obtain real-world experience. In rare cases, an Heir may be passed over for another child in the line of succession should the Heir fail to meet expectations.

Following the age of 16, non-Heir children may pursue education at a university level alongside any hobbies they take to fill their time while Heirs will continue to be assigned areas to govern by their parent to increase their experience. Although Heirs will have increased responsibilities, they may still lean on their House-ruling parent for advice and their schedule is largely their own to manage. Should they wish to pursue education at the university level, they are free to do so; however, information about their attendance is classified and attendance is remote to ensure their safety.

For commoners, public universities are akin to boarding schools: students must live in campus dorms and, as basic necessities (tuition, books, a dorm, and a cafeteria) are provided, students are expected to live on campus and adhere to the university's schedule for classes and meals. Following their graduation from university, commoners may opt to undertake a paid internship or jump right into a career. For both commoners and nobility, advanced education is possible -- though often pursued after a gap year.

### Advanced Education (20+ years old)

People of all ages are free to pursue an advanced degree if they so choose. Similar to University, tuition is paid for, but the schedule is less rigid as there are fewer classes in favor of independent study and greater homework load. Students will spend between 2-2½ years in the degree program of their choice, after which they will either pursue a job placement program or go for an Imperial Certification in their field.

There are no classes to study for the Imperial Certification: the entire focus is on independent study to prepare for a test. Tests are held 1-2 times per month and can be signed up for at anytime for those who feel they are prepared to do so after perusing the available study guides on the holonet.

Different tracks are more rigorous than others. For medical students pursuing surgical specialties, Imperial Doctors and are subjected to numerous anatomy and pharmaceutical courses to ensure the student is ready for written and practical exams.

Upon completion of an Imperial Certification, a student who passes will receive their results on real paper.