>>22389196/who/ General lore entry
Education:
All children once reached the age of 5 are subject to 9 years of compulsory education. Children of eligible age are first educated at the Élémentaires for 5 years, and then the École for 4 years. In the École, pupils need to choose to either continue their standard École courses or to start a vocational course in trades. After graduating from the École, these teens have the choice between starting work or continuing their education. The third tier of education institutes are the Collège and Ecole des métiers. Usually lasts for 2 years, the Collège prepare students for the Academy and Ecole des métiers teaches advanced trades skills.
The four main subjects of the Élémentaires and the first two years of École are the Arts, Sciences, Society and Physical. Arts cultivates language and artistic skills and Society teaches the basics of the Republic's politics and history, with a side of Theology. Young hoomans learn about math(particularly hated by them) and nature through Sciences while Physical teaches basic skills like sewing and woodworking.
The Academy is the highest and most prestigious rank of education. Only 5% of students are able to be admitted. It's simultaneously one of the most important institutes of the Republic as the various Academies are where the bulk of research and development happens. The Ministry of Innovation and the military keep a close relationship with the Academies and evaluate their research output. Any findings worthwhile are funded by the state or in some cases the private sector, and quickly exploited in the name of progress. Although this doesn't always pay off the program maintained the Republic's relative technological advantage over the years. Military and Commerce Academies exist but they are vastly different from the Academy for research and require a different pathway to enter.
Conscription and enlistment:
Any male citizens over the age of 16 who have not achieved an education level higher than the École or obtained the relevant certificate of trade/profession proficiency are subject to conscription. Conscripts are distributed to either the Army or the Navy. Two years of mandatory service means that most hoomans have a big incentive to continue their education or achieve intermediate proficiency in their trade. However, since being honourably discharged comes with benefits and welfare, many sons from poorer households would wait for their ticket or enlist right after École.
Army Drill camp lasts for six weeks, where conscripts are trained in basic combat skills, marching and discipline. After Drill camp, conscripts deemed eligible are sent to regimental reserve units for specialisation training, where they become specialists like sappers or artillery gunners. Specialist training lasts for around one to two months. As these specialists are especially valuable, their service is extended to three years and their pay is raised compared to the average line infantry. Since enlisting would guarantee a recommendation from the recruiter, making entering specialist corps easier, conscription isn't the only way for the army to recruit. The Republican Military's deep pockets and defensive doctrine mean the average conscript and recruits have great marksmanship, able to train with at least 60 rounds and 80 blanks during their basic training. New recruits for calvary pretty much only include those who had previous riding experience, while the Cuirassiers only accept volunteers and had a longer training period.
The Navy however don't have any training school besides an officer's academy. Any new conscripts are initiated as a landsman and trained by senior seamen while onboard their assigned ship. Sailing requires extensive knowledge and experience, as a result, conscripts who became a landsman are required to serve for a minimum of four years. But as the experience gained and the title of able seaman allows for a worthwhile career path in private shipping, the navy is nevertheless popular with hoomans enlistees who grew up on the coasts. Any students who chose to be trained in sailing during École would have a quicker path to becoming a midshipman and eventually a warrant officer. Spurred by patriotism and the handsome rewards, many experienced mariners are on the registry for wartime recruits as well. The mostly volunteer sailor corps of the Navy is one of the reasons for its relative success in combating pirates and raiders despite the young age.
Notes: Since the language system of the Republic isn't established I just picked a few French words as placeholder.
