Education in Vekllei

This article is about Vekllei society.

Overview #

Education in Vekllei is life-long, diverse, compulsory in childhood and free. Although there are many types of schooling across the country, compulsory education is characterised by a hybrid system provided in a national curriculum by the Parliament of Education.

Education and schooling is an important part of Vekllei society, and its importance is indicated by its dedicated federal parliament. It has good outcomes for Vekllei people, and contributes to the country’s reputation as among the most literate and learned societies in the world. It has several education institutions of renown, including Vekllei National University and the Commonwealth University of the West Indies. These outcomes have seen the Vekllei model of education replicated overseas, where it is known as the Atlantic Model.

Government education in Vekllei is unusually diverse, and comprises basically all schooling, including school types that would typically be private or independent in other countries. Government, or ‘public’ schools include religious, independent and alternative schools in addition to standard municipal schools. These alternatives are an effort by the government to anticipate cultural preferences, such as operating Christian or Islamic schools in religious republics. Nonetheless, schools in Vekllei are co-educational with very few exceptions.

Education is a founding aspect of the 4th Commonwealth and is to be reaffirmed constantly and faithfully by all Parliaments and public servants, and to this end is to be provided for as a highest priority of the new Parliament.

– Document No. 7

Atlantic Model of Education #

The Atlantic Model is the colloquial name for the Vekllei public education system. It is a hybridised model incorporating different influences, including progressive and Montessori methods. The Atlantic Model places greater emphasis on personal responsibility, constructivist learning and hobbyism. A distinguishing characteristic is its emphasis on synchronous authority, which protects certain student rights but retains the premise of the teacher as a classroom authority.

Although this system incorporates progressive and alternative education methods, its structure deviates from trends common in those movements. Vekllei schools have traditional classrooms, a common student uniform, and address teachers by their surname.

The distinguishing characteristics of the Atlantic Model are:

• Mixed-age classrooms, mostly comprising an age difference of three years
• Emphasis of cleanliness, ordered spaces and natural light
• Democratic or student-led topics and activities
• Free time for work and play
• An emphasis on clubs, hobbies and extracurricular activities
• Shared burdens like cleaning and cooking
• Short classroom periods broken up by changes in location and subject
• Tracked subject streams
• Activities to improve school spirit and civic identity
• Emphasis of personal responsibility, improvement, and discipline
• Emphasis of self-care, growth, emotional control and appearance

Structure #

✿ Download 📄 Document No. 7.pdf

Administration and Funding #

All forms of education in Vekllei are free, including for international students at a tertiary level. The system is funded by the Commonwealth Education Secretariat (SOLCOM), which also administers the school curriculum and some schools directly.

Schools #

There are several different types of school in Vekllei, but all are government-funded and adhere to the compulsory curriculum outlined by the Education Secretary. The Vekllei Education Uniform is compulsory for all students, including at independent schools.

State Schools #

State schools (also Central Schools) are administered and funded directly by the Education Secretariat, and are common in cities and in Commonwealth member-states. They are traditionally larger and better equipped, and usually provide for both primary and secondary schooling. Some state schools are also district colleges, meaning they serve students from Prep to Year 12 or 13.

Community Schools #

Community schools are usually administered by a borough or municipality, and are usually smaller than state schools. Although some community schools may combine primary and secondary schooling (called district schools), most serve only primary education. Community schools may also refer to village schools, or community-run schools in the local Vekllei tradition.

Studio & Technical Schools #

Studio and technical schools typically refer to secondary schools that specialise in arts or vocational curriculums, as a means to fast-track gifted learning. These schools may offer boarding, as only a few studio and technical schools exist across the Commonwealth and smaller member-states may send their students overseas to study there.

Faith Schools #

Faith schools in Vekllei are affiliated with an approved religious organisation. The curriculum of faith schools have a religious character, usually Jewish or Roman Catholic. Faith schools are still required to adhere to the Commonwealth curriculum as a minimum education standard. Faith Schools are also an exception to the universal coeducational system of the Commonwealth, since two schools in Oslola and one in the Kalina Isles are single-sex boarding schools.

Boarding Schools #

Vekllei offers a handful of boarding schools, which are usually specialised institutions that may operate as orphanages or for international students. Some Vekllei boarding schools include aspects of democratic education.

Education #

✿ Read more: Parliament of Education

Vekllei people are enrolled in 9 years of compulsory education, provided by the Parliament of Education. In addition, 3 years of pre-school and 3 years of senior secondary schooling are offered but not compulsory. All schools in Vekllei are funded by the state, which include community schools, state schools, studio schools, technical schools, faith schools and state boarding schools.

Compared to modern schooling overseas, Vekllei education places significant value on well-roundedness and practicable household and technical skills. Subject-based streams for specialised learning are common, but the basic compulsory Vekllei curriculum emphasises non-academic subjects and structures pre-tertiary subjects as electives.

Vekllei has a strong tradition of school clubs and social organisations, and these are considered essential aspects of Vekllei education. Clubs and associations are usually organised by student leadership, and offer opportunities in industry and tertiary study.

Compulsory and tertiary education is free for all Vekllei people, permanent residents and foreign workers. Homeschooling is illegal except by those holding a teaching certificate, and is supervised by a local school which issues the child’s diploma. In this context, homeschooling is almost nonexistent in the Commonwealth. About 15% of the Commonwealth Budget is allocated towards education.

Compulsory Education #

Vekllei offers preschooling from ages 3 onwards. Garden School, or kindergarten, is for 3 & 4 year-olds in Vekllei, and assists with the transition from home to school, followed by preparatory school, or ‘prep’, which is the first year of compulsory primary education.

Vekllei primary education consists of 7 years, starting with Prep at ages 5-6 and concluding with Year 6 at age 12. Secondary education lasts from years 7-12, and study until year 10 is compulsory.

The final year of school in Vekllei usually includes a class trip overseas, traditionally to Europe or Asia, to celebrate graduation.

Tertiary Education #

The Commonwealth invests heavily in tertiary education as both a social good and a product marketable overseas. Vekllei universities rank highly abroad, and education as a service is a major export of Vekllei, and contributes to Vekllei’s reputation as an international capital of finance and skilled labour.

Universities in Vekllei offer places to students who have completed their Education Award and satisfy the prerequisites for their subject. These requirements differ between subjects, and usually include an interview with the admissions board.

In order to study abroad, Vekllei students must be sponsored by a foreigner, receive a partial scholarship from an overseas university, or receive funding from their tertiary place of study. About one in four Vekllei students study overseas for some period of time.

University #

Vekllei International University offers

Vocational Schools #

Curriculum #

The Commonwealth Curriculum is the common programme of study in all Commonwealth schools, and determines standards of study across all education institutions.

Uniform #

✿ Read more: Uniforms in Vekllei

All schools in Vekllei share the Education Uniform, made compulsory by the Education Secretariat. The Vekllei uniform is simple and purchased independently, usually from department stores. The only badged items are the tie and jewellery/pins. It is worn across all ages of schooling, including tertiary education and university, and by some teachers as well.

The colours of uniforms may vary in constituent member-states of the Commonwealth – for example, the Kalina Isles use dark green in place of navy. Nonetheless, the Education Uniform standards are set at the Commonwealth level and are generally adopted in whole.

Although the items are not issued by individual schools, they are provided by the ACC on request and as such constitute a uniform rather than a dress code. The uniform system was designed in 2015 by French migrant Charles-Édouard Laurent to be accessible and comfortable, and so that individual items could continue to be worn after schooling concluded. It is iconic overseas and well-regarded by most Vekllei students.

Many schools make use of felt armbands to distinguish students or to signal membership in clubs or student councils. These are traditionally red, but may also be green or blue depending on their use.