The school system in Tsubomi City is co-ed and follows the 6-3-3-4 standard. Six years of Elementary School, three years of Lower Secondary/Junior High School, three years of Upper Secondary/High School, and four years of University or College. Children who are extremely young, however, may find themselves in varied nursery school environments depending on age, with which they build critical socialization skills and early experiences. A key difference from other schools is that while other places may only consider Lower Secondary the limit of compulsory education, Tsubomi City requires its youth to complete high school unless enlisting in the Star Army.

Schools in Tsubomi define the standards set forth by the Yamatai Department of Education as the absolute minimum, with most schools striving to exceed these requirements. For this reason, students are usually bilingual by the time they enter Upper Secondary, and some know three or more languages. Class sizes are typically smaller than in other schools on Yamatai, to better handle the psychological needs of the often orphaned and sometimes troubled students. Of course, this individualized attention is also a benefit as many students elect to move ahead of the standard pace in their coursework, some skipping grades or attending higher levels of schooling for partial days if deemed mature enough and have gotten ahead enough to do so. Supplemental courses are also available for students; in a wide degree of fields including various trades, management, civil service, and other fields even before college. In general, the Tsubomi school system is intended to be world-class, giving the disadvantaged youth what they need to strive and excel.

Special history, language, and heritage classes are available to those of Nepleslian or Elysian descent or to those who hold cultural interest. Care is taken not to instill feelings of an “us and them” nature, however. These classes are simply geared toward allowing the young person to function in that society should they participate in it later in life. Courses dealing with psychology are also more common here, due to the need of the students to recognize problems more readily in themselves and their peers. Classes in finance are also well-formed here and start particularly early on.

Students who come into the school system partway through who fit the Department of Education’s requirements may undergo their own specially chosen curriculum, both to ease them into and acclimate them to the new standards. People in this situation are said to be taking “Acclimation Classes”.

Most Nursery Schools are for children between the ages of zero and six, and are generally split apart by age. Often these are very small classes or even one-on-one in cases where a child is in need of extra attention. During this time, the effort is focused on healthy upbringing and later, social interaction. The mental development period of these children can’t be underestimated, and efforts to make the children well-adjusted and ready for life are made here. These schools start late and end late, allowing the children to sleep as their bodies demand. Volunteers from various grades who have shown great responsibility may assist in their education after their own school day is over, sometimes as a form of extracurricular activity.

From the ages of six to twelve, the children attend Elementary and find themselves being gradually entrusted with more responsibility over themselves. Grades and allowances are given for the first time, class sizes grow a bit, and there is more separation between dorm life and school life. Students are permitted to enter sports and some other extracurricular and civic improvement activities and can even go outside and play within reason. Many activities exist to advocate social interaction and teamwork. Still, safety is a concern, and the dorms tend to be constructed in the same city block as the school so the children need not cross a road to get to class. Students of the same grade are usually bunked together by gender in two person rooms, though exceptions are made for siblings and some friends.

Older Elementary students, starting with Grade 4, can start the earliest forms of student council and mentorship programs with their peers. Both require an amount of responsibility and are closely monitored. Interaction with Lower Secondary students starts around this level, to help manage the infrastructure with students who have experience, and who will provide the best first impression of Lower Secondary school life possible. The ability to interact with students from the higher tier of schooling, and the prospect of coming back to help their underclassmen if they do well, is also intended to make Lower Secondary seem like less of a hurdle and more a continuation of life. This is supported by some particularly bright Elementary students being permitted to take Lower Secondary classes for part of the day.

In Lower Secondary, more elaborate responsibilities develop. Students are able to take part in programs which not only include sports and civic improvement, but also to assist nursery and Elementary students. Encouragement to enroll in such programs is greater at this stage to form a concept of self-sacrifice and self-betterment. Some even join some courses geared toward military or public service. Student Council is fully structured here, though debate rules are strict and slander not tolerated. Honesty and political involvement by the student body are advocated highly. Lower Secondary Student Councils sometimes assist the simpler Elementary student council, and are in turn aided by the Upper Secondary student council.

Upper Secondary students sometimes come to assist the Lower Secondary students, mentoring them in various things and lending their experience. As with the Elementary/Lower Secondary connection, it is geared toward transition rather than being seen as another step hurdle to clear.

Students also have the ability to borrow against their allowances a tiny bit at first, and can start to build a line of credit as they show their reliability and learn more about how to conduct their finances properly. This is integrated with Tsubomi’s banking system, but can be done easily as the school level. There is even a class where students actually look up their own manifest of purchased goods and go over their finances one on one with their teacher once per month, in addition to their standard financial classes. Every measure is taken to teach these students early on about finance and to ensure that they enter adult life with a functioning knowledge and some measure of experience with the economic system. Concepts of frugality and the saving of money are taught which are conducive both to raising families and living in wartime with limited resources. Also, by the time they complete Lower Secondary, students will have learned both the Yamataian and Trade languages.

At this level, some students may find themselves enrolled in an “elite” school, where private donations provide something a step above the regular, yet already rich, curriculum. These schools sometimes have basic classes geared toward government service and management. This is intended to be useful in the military, civil service, and management in the private sector. These students have greater responsibilities, stricter rules, and are obligated to participate in at least some form of extra curricular activity. Often these model students are asked to lend their time to other students not only to make good role models for them, but also to keep them humble while in their slightly elevated position.

It is not uncommon for students to take accelerated classes to prepare them for their plans in life, if they and their counselor verify that the decision is a mature and well-informed one. Students with excellent grades may spend up to half of their day at an Upper Secondary school taking more advanced courses. These can be geared toward an early graduation should the student be planning to join the military instead of attending Upper Secondary, to start training toward a trade, or simply to get ahead on Upper Secondary coursework. This workload is more stressful, however, and the health of these students is carefully observed. It is generally recommended that students pace themselves and enjoy their childhood, unless there are very specific cases where well-justified reasons and feelings exist to do otherwise.

Unlike other places on Yamatai, Upper Secondary is a mandatory element of the education system in Tsubomi with the exception of specific criteria. Those enlisting in the Star Army or attending a five-year College of Technology such as Kyousou Institute of Technology may be able to get exemptions, as can certain apprenticeships and internships. While there are many classes geared toward University enrollment, there are also various trades which can be learned at this time alongside the base curriculum. Again, there is a full student council which helps their Lower Secondary and even Elementary underclassmen, and interacts with nearby colleges. It is possible to attend classes at a Tsubomi-based university or college at this time if the student’s grades are good enough, to earn college credits. Regular driving classes are also mandatory, resulting in a large number of Upper Secondary students being able to drive. Even after obtaining a license, however, these varied simulations and actual driving tests continue due to the fact that they are the only real driving a student would ever do within the city limits.

The concept of an “elite” school still exists in the Upper Secondary niche, generally a continuation of the Lower Secondary version. More specific management and leadership courses are taught; with some more specific classes geared toward Military, Law, Civic Service, or Company Management. A robust college preparatory curriculum is also included, should the students choose to attend a University. Of course, this includes an effort to prepare students enlisting in the Star Army for the Kyoto War College as well, to aid them in attaining officer standing in the future.

Some emphasis is placed on extracurricular activities, to the point where some students may take an apprenticeship or internship. This blends afterschool activities with the eventuality of employment, easing them into this new role while helping them build the needed skill set. Various institutions, companies, clans, and government agencies work with Tsubomi’s school system to help place students into roles which both fit their skills and will place the students in a position to learn how to do the jobs they wish to achieve. It is also possible to get an actual job with pay, and that pay can be in KS if the student has a driver’s license or does so outside of the city limits. GS is still advised though, for various reasons.

Things change for students entering a Tsubomi-based University, as they no longer receive any form of allowance for their work. However, due to the wish to further educate their students, there are large numbers of scholarships and classes are flexible enough to allow for a job. Students who have saved wisely may be able to pay their college tuition with the GS and/or KS they have saved over the years and still come out ahead. Loans are also available, and Tsubomi does what it can for the students while still making sure they are now responsible for themselves as adults. Should a student not be able to pay for university at the time, it is not uncommon for a student to leave Tsubomi for a time to earn money before applying to return and then attending University…after a refresher course to re-acclimate themselves if necessary. Classes in various trades and careers are available, with the support of staff with actual experience in the field.

While there is no concept of fraternities or sororities, most university dormitories are still split by gender and hold one or often two people. Co-ed dormitories still do not exist, but a male and female student may at this point live together in an apartment or other alternative arrangement. Students attending university in Tsubomi, however, must live in Tsubomi unless they possess a job which would require them to commute and have gotten permission to do so from the city.

Nekovalkyrja have an accelerated childhood and special needs, and institutions exist within the system for those orphaned in civilian life. While the same systems as usual exist as in a traditional Neko Gakuen (ねこ がくえん) Neko Academy, the psychological needs of the young Neko may differ greatly due to what they have been through. Because of this, it is possible for Neko to learn different things at different times. Typically, however, they will spend their first month of life in Elementary along normal children, their second month in Lower Secondary, and their third in Upper Secondary. This may vary widely, however, based on the psychological needs and education level of the student.

Rather than being completed after three months like the regular Neko Academy institutions, however, these parentless younglings have until a year of age to decide which direction they wish their lives to go, though they may choose to leave before that time. They are treated as adults in the society in regard to their curfew limits, however, so that they may freely pursue employment and even a university education. Often, this added nine months can also be partially dedicated to further social development. Many Neko join Upper Secondary-based extracurricular groups during their month-long participation in those classes, and continue them through this additional nine months.