Children And Education

Education is handled very differently on E-Zero. From birth babies may be looked after by 'petl' who are the people in the 'nahum' designated to look after the children. The mother may decide to take a more active or passive role in the up bringing of her children. There are no rules or restrictions as to how much involvement a mother may have but 'petl' are legally charged with the welfare of children; 'petl' also have to take qualifications in child welfare, psychology, first aid and other related subjects. It is not uncommon for youngsters as young as six or seven years to have one or more 'petl' qualifications.

Very often the young children from several neighbouring 'nahum' / 'nahumar' are grouped together for extended play groups. At about the age of three or four years the children are given their own 'katim' (implant) after which formal education begins. At first they are taught basic skills and then, from about the age of seven, they start to learn from a much broader range of subjects (but this varies between children). During this period the child's natural interests are encouraged and developed. Children with special aptitudes will be encouraged to join a Profession and start taking professional qualifications, sometimes from as young as six or seven.

There is no concept of a 'student' in Naha society. A person may be studying a range of subjects or a particular subject in depth, but they would still be expected to contribute to the society around them. As there is no fixed school year (another alien concept to them) they study at their own pace and qualify in their own time. Furthermore, examinations are far less arduous than here. Often subjects can be studied in month-long chunks in one's own spare time.

From the age of seven, sometimes earlier, sometimes later depending on the child, they will start to learn in detail about; The law, history, maths, language, science, relationship management, biology, chemistry, philosophy, ethics, geography, social studies, etc. The list is extensive.

Once the child reaches about ten years, often sooner, they will start to work along side the adults in their preferred professions. This can mean that a child will leave the Nahum for periods of time. At first these times away from home are short, but they grow longer as the child matures. Children of about fourteen years are often settled into a Profession and work full time, however education continues throughout life so there is no concept of a 'school' or 'university' as such. Children from about the age fourteen through to their early twenties may decide to 'leave the nest' and travel on their own, or they may join a group. 'Nahumar' usually have spare bedrooms and will put up roamers as a matter of course.

It is very common for a young adult to move into another profession once they have mastered the basics of their first. Some adults may have as many as six or seven professions under their belt, but generally they remain in just two or three and become qualified to a high level in just one. Some become 'jack-of-all-trades' and have partial qualifications in many different professions.