Education in New Ingerland
Template:Infobox education system The education system of New Ingerland has been designed to ensure students are given a rounded education capable of helping them live in a highly sophisticated society. The education system in New Ingerland follows a four-tier model of preparatory, primary, secondary, and tertiary levels of education, with pupils beginning in the preparatory system at the age of four or five, and continuing through until the complete tertiary study in their twenties. The aim of the New Ingerland system show is to strive for worlds best practice in education quality, effectiveness, and satisfaction.
Education is considered an essential service, and as a result children receive free tuition for long as they wish to study. By law, all children must attend school from the year they turn six until the year they turn sixteen. Additionally, all children are also expected to complete the Ordinary Certificate of Education (O-levels) before they can leave school and seek work or an apprenticeship. As a result, the number of students completing the compulsory portion of their studies has been at or around 90-95% since the 1980s.
New Ingerland's education system is a partnership between government run state schools and privately owned and operated independent schools. The parents of a school age child have a free choice are moved into the tripartite selective system of state run vocational, technical, and grammar schools from the age of thirteen. The final outcome of the school system is to be awarded their O-levels or continue to completed the Advanced Certificate of Education (A-levels) at the end of sixth form, with pupils then able to go into either working life, or continue with tertiary education to seek the various qualifications that can be obtained in that system.
History
Early days
Prior to the 1880s, the administration of education in New Ingerland was the responsibility of the Ingerian Church, with other denominations excluded from operating schools in the country.
Liberal reforms
The Ministry of Education was established by the Clifton government in 1880 to construct and operate secular non-sectarian schools free from the influence and control of the Church. Under the control of the new ministry, public primary and secondary schools were established across New Ingerland for the first time. The aim of the new system was make the education system secular, with at least four hours of secular education required per day, although denomination-specific religious education could be given by a clergyman. In addition education was made compulsory for the first time for children between the ages of six and fourteen years. The new school system was not free however, with annual fees set at 3d per child up to a maximum of 1/- for families with four or more children.
For the first time, New Ingerland's schools were to be run by the Ministry and a number of locally elected public boards. Each board would consist of up to seven persons, whose authority included inspecting and reporting upon the schools under their supervision, the employment and termination of teachers, endeavouring to induce parents to send children regularly to school and reporting those who refused or failed to educate their children. As part of it's drive to secularise education, the Clifton government also ceased to provide all forms of aid to church-run denominational schools from 1 January 1882. This proved to be an extremely controversial decision, and funding for these schools was restored when the conservatives were returned to government.
Partial wind back
However, the full extent of the Liberal reforms proved to be short lived. In 1886, the Conservatives won office after six years in opposition, and set about reforming education in to their own image. The secularisation of education was reversed, although state control remained. In order to provide funding for church-run denominational schools the government passed the Education Act of 1888. This Act abolished all Ingerian schools, and instead gave the Church a voice in the administration of state schools. Much of the system was modelled on or inspired by the National Schools of Ireland, in which the churches had an integral role in the affairs of state education. This system endues to the present day, with the Church having a role in the administration of all state schools alongside the central government and the local public board.
Introduction of the tripartite system
Following on from reforms in the Ingerland, in 1952 the newly elected Kettering government passed a new Education Act creating present tripartite system. Under the new system, all existing secondary schools were converted in to vocational, technical, or grammar schools. Control of schools was passed from the central Ministry of Education to the 80 public boards that had been established in 1880, each of whom were now fully responsible for all public primary and secondary schools in their district.
Organisation and administration
New Ingerland's school system is organised into a number of stages from preparatory to tertiary, which forms the basis of determining the curriculum and qualification offered to students of a particular age. Each stage is further divided into a number of years known as forms which help to break down the curriculum into a series of more manageable chucks for teachers and pupils, and increase in difficulty as pupils get older. The form system also determines the when the various school qualifications are offered to pupils, which again get harder as pupils age.
The administration of schools and other such bodies is surprisingly similar across the whole education, regardless of the stage on which they sit, or whether they are government run or independent. Almost all have some kind of mechanism in place to ensure that parents and local citizens have a direct role in the administration of the school with directly elected public boards. The role of the teacher in the provision of education is paramount, and all have a legal role as guardians of their pupils (in loco parentis), ensuring that children are able to learn in peace without harassment from their peers or external sources.
School years
The New Ingerland school year commences on or about the 1 February each year. Participation in the education system is compulsory for all children from their sixth birthday to the year in which they turn 16. In addition, 17 and 18 year old children must either attend school or be employed in a full-time apprenticeship.
Preparatory school
- Nursery (age 4-5)
- Kintergarten (age 5-6)
Primary school
- Lower First Form (age 6-7)
- Upper First Form (age 7-8)
- Lower Second Form (age 8-9)
- Upper Second Form (age 9-10)
- Lower Third Form (age 10-11)
- Upper Third Form (age 11-12)
Secondary school
- Lower Fourth Form (age 12-13)
- Upper Fourth Form (age 13-14)
- Lower Fifth Form (age 14-15)
- Upper Fifth Form (age 15-16)
- Lower Sixth Form (age 16-17)
- Upper Sixth Form (age 17-18)
Primary and secondary education
State school system
State schools are financed through a mix of funding from government funding, private investments, bequests, and local taxation; and are required to take pupils free of charge. The schools may levy charges for extra-curricular activities, provided that those who cannot afford to pay are allowed to participate in such events by way of subsidies or scholarships. As of 2010, it was though that approximately 95% of New Ingerland schoolchildren attended a state school.
Independent schools
While the majority of New Ingerland pupils are educated by the state school system, around 5% are sent to one of a number of independent schools. These schools are quite often administered by non-conformist religious denominations, such as the Roman Catholic or Methodist churches; or may teach according to a non-conventional style, such as the Montessori and Steiner methods. In addition, a small number of 'Unity Schools' were established in the 1970s, and teach according to the comprehensive model seen in many western nations. The exact nature of each school is highly varied, and no simple template can be applied to the way an independent school is operated or what services it provides to pupils. Some are boarding schools, while some only admit day students. Around half of all independent schools admit only one sex, with the remainder choosing to be co-educational.
Like public schools, independent schools must teach the National Curriculum to their pupils, although they are given some leeway in the creation of additional modules if they wish, which are still subject to approval from the Board of Studies. Like state schools, independent schools receive a large portion of their funding from the government, but many also rely on fees and endowments for their survival.
Higher education
Certificates and awards
New Ingerland's pupils are expected to obtain a number of qualifications before they enter general society. The passage to the next qualification is incumbent on passing the previous exams and receiving the relevant certificate. There are a total of five qualifications required before leaving school. Two certificates are obtained within the primary school system, with pupils going onto secondary schools and sitting for some or all of the final three certificates. The management of education qualifications across primary and secondary schooling rests with the Board of Studies, with the Tertiary Qualifications Board managing qualifications for the polytechnics and the university.
The delivery of the various qualifications for primary and secondary school is via the National Curriculum. This system has allowed for the creation of single national system of subjects, units, and lessons to be used by all schools, whether they be state or independent. All schools, however, retain the right to create units and lessons that are unique to their particular situation, thereby giving them a degree of flexibility to offer subjects that are in line with values of the school and community that supports it.