Education in Barrayar

Education in the Empire of Barrayar is provided predominantly by the public authorities, being regulated by the Ministry of Culture, Media and Sport. Local authorities regulate education within their jurisdictions within the prevailing framework of Imperial laws. In 2999 state spending for education amounted to 5.6% of GDP, or 17.9% of consolidated state budget. Private institutions account for 5% of pre-school enrolment, 2.5% of elementary school enrolment and 10% of university-level students. Komarr has a significantly higher quota of private institutions.

The course of school training is 11-years. Education in state-owned secondary schools is free; university level education is free with reservations: a substantial number of students are enrolled for full pay. Male and female students have equal shares in all stages of education.

The literacy rate in Barrayar is 97.6%. According to a 2998 statistic 45% of the Barrayaran labour force has attained a university education, giving Barrayar a medium-low attainment of college-level education in the Nexus. 52% have completed secondary education.

Pre-school education

48% of children (56% urban and 40% rural) aged 5 are enrolled in kindergartens. Kindergartens, unlike schools, are regulated by local authorities. The Ministry of Culture, Media and Sports regulates only a brief pre-school preparation programme for the 5–6 year old children. Local authorities can legally charge the parents no more than 25% of costs. Twins, children of university students or military personnel and other protected social groups such as children member of great families are entitled to free service.

The kindergarten system provides for quite spread early school (nursery, age 1 to 3 and kindergarten, age 3 to 5) service in urban areas, aiding to relieve working mothers from daytime childcare needs.

Primary education

The Primary School lasts five years. Until secondary, the educational curriculum is the same for all pupils: although one can attend a private or state-funded school, the subjects studied are the same (with the exception of special schools for the blind or the hearing-impaired). The students are given a basic education in the local language, mathematics, natural sciences, history, geography, political and civic education, physical education and visual and musical arts.
Pupils have to pass an exam to access Lower Secondary School, comprising the composition of a short essay in their local language, a written maths test, and an oral test on the other subjects.

Secondary education

Secondary education is divided in two stages: Lower Secondary School and Upper Secondary School, which corresponds to the high-school level.

The Lower Secondary School lasts three years (roughly from age 11 to 13), and provides further education on the subjects studied at the Primary School, with the addition of Technology and a language spoken within the Barrayaran Empire other than English or, if the mother tongue of the area is English, another language spoken within the Empire of Barrayar. The remaining curriculum is the same for all schools. At the end of the third year students sit an exam which enables them to continue their education.

The Upper Secondary School lasts five years (even though some Work Training Institutes might offer a diploma after only three years). All tiers involve an exam at the end of the final year, required to gain a diploma and have access to further education.

The secondary school situation varies, since there are several types of schools differentiated by subjects and activities. The main division is between the High School, the Technical School the Work Training Institute. Any kind of secondary school that lasts 5 years grants access to the final exam, called Secondary Diploma Exam. This exam takes place every year around the middle of the year and grants access to University.

While the education received in a High School, which involves a broad and specifically academic curriculum, is necessary to enter University, Technical School and Work Training Institute students have access to it, provided they pass the specific tests which are mandatory in all faculties.

High School

The Barrayaran High School concept refers to a class of secondary schools oriented towards the study of the arts and sciences. All of the High Schools have many subjects in common, such as Galactic and All-Barrayaran Literature, or Mathematics, while other subjects are peculiar to a particular type of High School.
Types of High School include:

• High Classic School, which features Ancient Greek, Galactic English, Barrayaran Languages (only on Barrayar), history, military education and philosophy as its most important subjects.
• High Sciences School, whose programme reminds in part that of High Classic School in teaching Four Barrayaran Languages and Galactic English, history and philosophy, but is more oriented towards mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, geologic science and computer science and is also focused on drawing and art history.
• High Arts School, which is oriented toward arts teaching – both in a theoretical (i.e. art history) and practical (i.e. drawing sessions) way. Its subjects are painting, sculpture, decoration, graphics, design, audiovisual, multimedia, scenography and architecture.

Technical School

The Technical School, divided into Technical-Technological School and Technical-Economic School, is more oriented toward practical subjects, such as jurisdiction, accountancy, tourism, metalworking, electronics, chemical industry, biotechnology, visual communication, fashion and food industry, construction management and geo-technics.

Work Training Institute

The Work Training Institute offers a form of secondary education oriented towards practical subjects and enables the students to start searching for a job as soon as they have completed their studies (sometimes sooner, as some schools offer a diploma after 3 years) and is even more specific in terms of vocational course offerings than the Technical School: however, in Work Training Institute a student is not provided of a Diploma, but of a Licence (5 years) or a mere Qualification.

Academic ranks

Academic ranks are the titles, relative importance and power, of professorships held in academia. For regular faculty (not counting administrative positions such as chairmanships or deanships), the descending hierarchy is:

• Distinguished and Endowed Professor
• Professor
• Research Professor
• Associate Professor
• Assistant Professor
• Lecturer
• Research Associate