Chapter 331 - School System

"The way I see it, our objective is to revive as much useful technology as possible within our lifetimes, then adapt it to our environment—rather than blindly attempting to restore every advancement we once knew." Ma Qianzhu pressed his argument. "The difference in context means our technological trajectory will necessarily diverge from the other timeline's..."

"The Superintendent's steampunk obsession is showing again," someone muttered nearby.

Steam-powered gear computers. High-speed double-decker steam trains. Floating battleship airships. These were the three "future technology" initiatives that the steampunk faction—with Ma Qianzhu at its helm—championed most fervently.

At this point, Hu Qingbai, head of the Education Committee, rose to speak. "Based on everyone's proposals, my colleagues in the Ministry of Education have discussed the matter and concluded that we should 'walk on two legs' in education."

The phrase meant pursuing both rapid popular education and formal education simultaneously. The former addressed immediate needs; the latter cultivated talent for future development.

This pragmatic synthesis covered all essential bases while remaining feasible given current resources. Ultimately, it won broad acceptance: the Transmigration Group would establish a dual-track education system—National Education for children and Rapid Education for adults.

First came the National School, the foundation of National Education. Its mandate: orphans collected from the mainland and children of indigenous personnel directly serving the transmigrators. Enrollment was compulsory for all children between full eight years and under twelve. Those exceeding the age limit would be channeled exclusively into adult rapid literacy programs to earn the most basic qualification—a Class C Diploma.

The National School was a comprehensive institution divided into two stages: Primary and Secondary, requiring nine years to complete. But Hu Qingbai further subdivided the curriculum into three phases: Lower Primary, Higher Primary, and Secondary School. Additionally, a Nursery would be established for preschool children.

The two-year Lower Primary curriculum emphasized fundamental reading, writing, and arithmetic alongside civic education—including basic Chinese history, rudimentary moral and social ethics, and simple natural science. Labor skills classes taught practical abilities, preparing students for future employment while fostering hands-on competence. Finally, physical education classes were instituted to strengthen bodies and begin overturning the traditional Chinese contempt for manual labor and practical work.

Upon completing Lower Primary, students received a Class B Diploma. Graduates could enlist in the Army, enter vocational or military-political schools, or join any Transmigration Group department directly. The Ministry of Education's primary goal for the coming years was universal Lower Primary coverage—extending the Class B Diploma to the Army, factories, farms, and all other sectors.

Children demonstrating ability to continue their education could advance to Higher Primary for three additional years, earning a Class A Diploma upon graduation.

Class A Diploma holders could proceed to Secondary School, Vocational Technical School, or Military-Political School. Secondary School lasted four years. According to the transmigrators' design, students who completed this level would be groomed as key future leaders. The curriculum stressed theory and foundational science, enabling graduates to ultimately master the advanced knowledge and culture the transmigrators had brought with them. In other words, students completing the full nine years of National Education and earning a Secondary School Diploma would become genuine social elites—the Transmigration Group's true successors.

Adult Rapid Education was the current priority. Hu Qingbai devised a plan based on input from all departments: upon recruitment, all indigenous soldiers and employees would undergo a one-month "purification" quarantine.

During this period, a regimen of half-day military training and labor combined with half-day cultural study would be implemented. Military training fell to the Army; cultural instruction to personnel dispatched by the Ministry of Education. The curriculum covered Mandarin, five hundred basic Chinese characters, and fundamental arithmetic. A final examination would be administered. Those who passed received a Class C Diploma.

Those who failed could continue their education within their receiving department—Army, factory, or otherwise—and retake the cultural proficiency examination, administered every six months. Each department would organize its own remedial instruction, with support from the Ministry of Education.

The Class C Diploma was the most fundamental qualification under the Transmigration Regime; without it, advancement was impossible. Those lacking a Class C Diploma could not be promoted to regular worker or Private First Class, could not enter vocational schools, and certainly could not serve as grassroots cadres. In effect, without this certificate, one was condemned to remain at the lowest tier of the labor force, with no avenue for promotion.

Originally, Hu Qingbai had wanted to dismiss those who failed outright. Given the pressing demand for laborers and soldiers, however, such waste was unjustifiable.

Class C Diploma holders could voluntarily pursue further adult training in their own time, progressively elevating their educational level. No mandatory requirement was imposed. However, as indigenous personnel advanced through the ranks, the diploma would become a gatekeeping threshold—certain job categories, positions, military ranks, and advanced vocational training would require a specific diploma level. This mechanism was designed to stimulate learning through the desire for promotion.

The Ministry of Education would administer a cultural proficiency examination every six months, open to all.

The second pillar of adult education was Vocational Skills Education. Current vocational training was already reasonably organized. The Apprentice Corps had grown substantial; orphans collected from the mainland who proved unsuited for academic study were assigned there, along with children of many indigenous employees.

Hu Qingbai planned to establish a formal Vocational School from this corps, retaining its existing structure and pedagogical approach. The school would accept all indigenous persons holding diplomas—whether Class C, Class B, Class A, or Secondary School. Naturally, the job types available to each diploma level would differ. Polishers and nurses required only a Class C Diploma; teachers and medical officers needed at least Class B; physicians were reserved for Secondary School Diploma holders.

The Vocational School focused on technically demanding occupations requiring extended training: mechanics, teachers, medical personnel, and similar roles. Depending on specialty, training ranged from three months to three years, combining cultural study with internship rotations across various departments.

Finally, the Military-Political School. The original Military-Political School and the Rural Cadre Training Institute would merge into the Lingao Military-Political Cadre School, concentrating on the cultivation of indigenous military and administrative officers. The school was divided into three levels: Class A admitted Secondary School Diploma holders; Class B admitted Class A Diploma holders; Class C admitted Class B Diploma holders—the last restricted to serving employees and soldiers with organizational recommendations.

This education system, balancing short-term practical needs and long-term academic development, satisfied all parties reasonably well. Some grumbled that the Transmigration Group had merely reinstituted the "Diploma is Gospel" mentality—but complaints remained muted.

With the system defined, infrastructure had to follow. Xiao Zishan's destination was the construction site of the new school. Long dormitory buildings already stood in rows. The location lay far from the industrial zone, in good environmental conditions, with miscellaneous woodland nearby. The terrain was elevated and well-drained, largely sand and stone—unsuitable for farming but ideal for educational purposes. Lingao Construction General Company was now engaged in a major building campaign on this parcel.

Because manpower and material resources could not support three separate schools, the site was christened—borrowing a fashionable term from the other timeline—"Education Park." All teaching and living facilities would be shared. The park was named Fangcaodi Education Park.

By the time Xiao Zishan arrived, the Fangcaodi teaching area was nearing completion. From the access road, he could see over a dozen two-story red brick and timber buildings rising from the ground. They looked strangely familiar—the primary and secondary schools of his childhood had featured similar structures: long rectangular blocks with a corridor on one side, staircases set every two classrooms. A single building could accommodate eight to sixteen rooms.

Mei Wan, People's Commissar Hu Qingbai, and Clerk Bai Yu awaited him. As Director of the General Office, Xiao Zishan bore no formal responsibility for education policy; inspecting school construction was even less within his purview. But the General Office was responsible for solving the education problem of the transmigrators' own children, so his interest in the project was entirely justified.

The campus presented a somewhat rough appearance. Due to material shortages, no perimeter wall had been constructed—which, in a certain light, aligned with the "Open Education" philosophy but proved rather impractical in this era. Mei Wan's alternative was dense bamboo fencing; bamboo was abundant and easily worked.

"...Later we'll plant climbing Rosaceae along the fence. In a few years, neither man nor beast will be able to approach. It'll become a natural 'barbed wire'!" Mei Wan explained.

The main gate, by contrast, was majestic—large stone blocks quarried from Bairen, arranged in a three-arched European style that Mei Wan admitted was copied from Tsinghua University's entrance. Somewhat incongruously, blockhouses flanked either side. Four signs already hung at the gate: "Lingao National School," "Lingao Military-Political School," and "Nanhai Vocational Technical School."

The fourth sign read "Education People's Committee."

Xiao Zishan raised an eyebrow. "What's that about?"

"Oh, Wu Nanhai agreed to allocate some surplus agricultural products as supplementary student rations. This is by way of acknowledgment." Hu Qingbai added quickly, "Chairman Wen has already approved it."

Hearing that the Chairman had signed off, Xiao Zishan let the matter drop. Noting that the Education Committee's own sign hung here as well, he remarked, "The environment is quite pleasant. A good location for your offices."