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All Korainian children attend early schooling before progressing to intermediate education at 11 cycles old, which is equivalent to 14 years old on Earth. Intermediate schooling continues until fifteen cycles, the recognised age of adulthood on Uji (18 years old on Earth).
Across these four cycles, students complete standardised lessons, sit end-of-cycle examinations and begin developing the academic, technical, sporting or creative abilities that may shape their adult lives.
Uji has five principal intermediate schooling institutes:
The academy a child attends can depend on examination results, location, family circumstances and, occasionally, the usefulness of well-connected kin.
The Mid Region is home to multiple early schooling institutes but only one intermediate school: Mid Region Academy. Boasting a vivid orange school uniform and emblem of soaring birds, Mid Region Academy does not rely on a entrance examination and operates a generous proximity-based admissions model; accompanied by a modest entry fee, of course.
This makes Mid Region Academy one of Uji’s most accessible intermediate institutions. Upper Region families whose children narrowly miss out on admission to City Korai Academy commonly turn to Mid Region Academy as an alternative. As a result, its classrooms bring together students from several regions, family backgrounds and levels of social standing.
By population, Mid Region Academy is the third-largest schooling institute on Uji, following Tassan Technical Intermediate School and Basaltstone School of Early Learning. Mid Region Academy also maintains a thriving extracurricular culture. Its clubs and programmes include:
A typical day at Mid Region Academy begins at the 38th hour (equivalent to 9am by Earth standards). Students move through 2 hour lessons in Law History, Geography of Uji, Korainian Biology and Physical Education before taking their midday break at the 48th hour to get up to all sorts of childish antics. Afternoon classes may include Scientifics, Mathematics, Design Technology, Study Hall and Classic Language; with final cycle students choosing advanced classes, such as Advanced Literature. The school day concludes at the 58th hour, after which clubs take place for 2 to 4 hours.
4th cycle students on the eve of adulthood also take mandatory Adulthood Prep classes, with the standardised Government-ordained curriculums strictly adhered to. Although this timetable belongs to Mid Region Academy, most intermediate academies across Uji follow a similar schedule, with subjects adjusted to reflect each institute’s specialisms.
Situated in City Korai, City Korai Academy is Uji’s most prestigious intermediate schooling institute. Nearly every City Korai child attends the Academy, alongside the majority of students from across the Upper Region. Admission is primarily determined through competitive examination and entry fee, and securing a place is widely treated as an early sign of good fortune.
For those that struggle to gain admission through special examination, City Korai Academy offers alternative routes to admission.
Though the Academy swears on the stars that additional monetary contributions provide no guarantee of placement, some families are also known to make substantial donations ahead of the admissions period. The tendency is understandable, given the Academy’s stellar reputation. The school boasts its own auditorium, horse stables, multiple swimming pools, race tracks, handball courts and laboratories. In fact, City Korai Academy has become something of a socialising hotspot in the Upper Region, frequently hosting evening events alongside regular showcases of student talent. Its performative horse jumping club is in fact Uji-renowned.
And the pretension pays off. Approximately 80% of students who later progress to The University are former City Korai Academy attendees. This has cemented the Academy’s reputation as the principal route into Uji’s most powerful professions and public institutions.
The Lower Region contains three intermediate institutes:
This larger number reflects both the Lower Region’s population and the breadth of educational needs across its territories.
Rather than relying on a single central academy, Lower Region students may follow scientific, technical or general educational routes.
The existence of three institutes offers a wider range of specialisms, but it does not necessarily mean that every Lower Region child has equal access to each one. Competitive examinations, travel distance and a family’s available funds can still determine which opportunities are realistically within reach.
The Ujian Scientifics Academy is the Lower Region’s foremost institute for scientific education. It admits promising students from across Uji through a highly competitive entrance examination. Its curriculum places particular emphasis on Korainian Biology, Chemistry and Theoretical Physics, preparing students for advanced study at The University in City Korai. Although situated in the Upper Lower Region, the Academy’s reputation extends across the Mainland. Many Korainians, such as its recently graduated alumni, even regard it as an academic challenger to City Korai Academy.
Tassan Technical Intermediate School, more commonly known as Tassan Tech, is the largest schooling institute on Uji. It was founded by the Tassan family of Tassan Electronics, a Blackscale-owned electronics company (often cited as the principal rival to the Government-sponsored Lei Electronics).
Based in the Mid Lower Region, Tassan Tech’s establishment and continued funding are widely understood to be a deliberate investment by the Tassan family to strengthen economic opportunity within a predominantly Blackscale region. Tassan Tech is strongly vocational in focus. As a result, a large proportion of graduates leave Tassan Tech with conditional or confirmed job offers in the Factorylands, most commonly within Tassan Electronics facilities.
LRG Academy in the Lowest Lower Region (also known as The Pits) provides the region’s broadest intermediate schooling route. While The Ujian Scientific Academy selects students for specialist scientific study and Tassan Tech emphasises vocational skills, LRG Academy offers a general education for students that often progress into family vocations; particularly fishing or farming.
Unfortunately, the school’s infamously relaxed approach to discipline and education has contributed to high truancy rates and a concerning number of pre-adulthood infractions, with Lower Region youths often reprimanded for underage betting, drinking, and other prohibited behaviours. Korainians from The Pits like Nelli have firsthand knowledge of such infamy. As a result, LRG Academy has developed a reputation as the lowest-performing intermediate school on Uji.
At fifteen cycles, Korainians complete intermediate schooling and formally enter adulthood. Some move directly into family vocations. Others compete for apprenticeships, seek technical placements or enter the Mainland workforce. Some pursue roles in The Government, or become Law Enforcers for Uji. An even smaller number apply to The University in City Korai, where the costs of enrolment and the influence of academy connections create an entirely new set of challenges.
Whatever comes next, a Korainian’s intermediate institute can continue to shape how they are perceived. Academy friendships may become professional connections. Club activities may develop into lifelong vocations. Examinations determine which applications are considered and which doors remain closed.
Long after the uniforms have been put away, one question can still reveal a great deal about a Korainian’s upbringing, opportunities and expected future:
Which Intermediate Academy did you go to?
