School traditions

[caters]

I have a few questions when it comes to school traditions in this mainly underground civilization.

First, should there be 12 grades that all students have to go through? I know that americans are very used to there being 12 grades but not all nations have 12 grades. Some have more and some have less.

Second, should those grades be organised with 1-5(6 in some cases) being elementary, 6-8 being middle school, and 9-12 being high school?

Third, should there be 1 teacher per grade or 1 teacher per subject per grade?

Fourth, should there grade 13 and above for students that want to go to school for longer than just 12 years?

Fifth, should school end on the summer solstice or on the first hot day of the year?

Sixth, should school start on the fall equinox or the last hot day of the year(which is kind of unpredictable)?

 

[Heliotrope]

As far as starts and stops,

The reason kids get "summer holidays" is because traditionally that's when the kids were needed on the farms. Kids just weren't coming to school from July-September because they were needed for harvesting etc, so the school system was designed with this is mind. In some places in Canada they are contemplating going to a full year school system because there aren't 'farm kids' anymore. The entire system is obsolete.

So for your school system, think of the reasons why they might need breaks in YOUR culture/society… a certain religious festival maybe? etc. Don't just give them summer holidays because that is what "earth" has.

 

[skip.knox]

Well, first of all, you're talking about mass compulsory education, which is a rather recent development. Prior to the Industrial Revolution, there was no such thing, and grades more or less did not exist. There were schools, of course, but they tended to be organized around mastering a specific curriculum, with no particular calendar involved at all. So, for example, some went to a grammar school where they learned ... wait for it ... grammar. Other schools taught kids arithmetic. Once they learned it, they were done. How long that took was however long it took.

If your story is going to involve compulsory education, then you might want to consider why education was mandated and by whom. You suggest twelve years, but a full twelve years was not the norm prior to WWII. All of which is another way of saying you can structure your fantasy schooling any way you please. IMO.

 

[CupofJoe]

In Northern Ireland and Scotland [and within living memory - it's how my mother was taught] there was a very short break at the end of the school year in July/August, usually two weeks and then the schools reopened for a month for a new school year only to close down again in September/October so the kids could work on the farm.
I think the August/September start to the school year in Britain [and Europe and America?] is due to a historical bump in births in September/October and a drop off in July/August. [That probably has something to do with those long dark cold winter nights in January...]
As the others have said, what you decide has to fit the needs of your world.

 

[Unglitteringold]

First and Second- grades should be divided by what the civilization values. In a topside world, we measure accomplishment relative to years because we live with the cycling of the sun. How do these people measure time? Do they measure accomplishment relative to time at all? It might have to do with height, or strength, intellect, or something else entirely. Once you decide how "levels" of education should be determined, you can decide if there should be more divisions. Perhaps there is something to do with depths - when you are less skilled you start higher, then go deeper into the more difficult to navigate parts of the city as you become more responsible/intelligent, etc.

Third: What are they teaching? How many people are there in a given "class?" If the classes are reading, writing, and math, sure, having specialized teachers for each subject makes sense. However, if the classes are focused on survival, then having one teacher move with a group of students through interdisciplinary activities makes sense.

Fourth: What are the options? When one finishes school, is there more school to go to, or does one enter the work force? Is that based on personal desire, or academic performance? Or does the government decide where one is needed? Do parents have a say?

Fifth and Sixth: If the culture is underground, that makes no sense. If there is some natural phenomenon that they need the children to help with that occurs annually, sure, that can be a time marker. But, if the civilization is mostly underground, it doesn't make much sense to take off a random two months because it's hot on the surface.

 

[K.S. Crooks]

The length of time in school is generally related to life expectancy. People can spend more time in school if they are living longer lives. If life in your civilization is shorter then school should be as well. Solstice and equinox don't matter if the people live their entire lives underground. There will be no change in the amount of daylight and minor (depending on depth) on the temperature. It might make more sense to go by a cycle of a two week break every 8-10 weeks and maybe a 4 week break to facilitate the transition of students moving to he next grade. Probably more important is what the students need to be taught. What roles in society/occupations need to be maintained to insure the civilization's survival? What progress are they trying to make?

On a side note and not knowing how advanced your society is, if you have a large underground body of water the shifting of the tides can be used as a measure of time for each day. If certain species are around during certain times of the year it may warrant a longer break in school. Hope this sparks a few ideas.