As the XXth Generation came into adulthood, most were not afforded the luxury of studying as expatriate students in Europe or Asia; the vast majority, naturally, were educated in their own homelands, in neighboring cities or provincial capitals. Though all education expenses are paid by the state, the fifteen years of mandatory education most young people experience may serve as the intellectual foundation for a lifetime spanning several centuries; thus, many families compete for the best teachers and enrollment in the best academies. For legitimate military families, an education at sea is a popular choice: students between the ages of ten and sixteen may enroll in secondary education with active-duty ships of the line in the Royal Navy's fleets, where in return for performing peacetime maintenance, upkeep, and patrol duties, they're provided with room and board, excellent educations, and an early start on their military credentials.
Due to their relatively small size and high automation, a regular ship of the line may have twenty or more students in its class, joined by a half-dozen professional naval officers (including the instructor). After completing introductory courses in dock, the students set to sea, operating on one of three shifts each day, cooking class meals, and enjoying what leisure time they have outside of classes. Youngsters and adolescents are considered by some to be superior to newly-recruited adult sailors; their small size makes for easier accommodation and even accessing confined spaces, and they do not have their own dependents. Girls are more popular than boys, though both are common: on average, they eat and sleep less, and an unscientific truism suggests that, once reaching puberty, girls float better and thus are more likely to be natural swimmers.
Of all the branches of the armed forces, the navy had the most success in standardizing uniforms, inspired by foreign styles; as had been the case for thousands of years, schools are expected to provide clothing for their enrollees. The student sailor uniform consists of a flat-topped sailor cap affixed with the ship's badge, a flap collar and ribbon, and a short double-breasted jacket worn over a one-piece swimsuit; all in black, with white trim. Most teachers defer to students choosing to wear the white gloves, leather belts and thigh-high leather boots worn by their sisters and mothers in the military. Teachers wear the black or white uniforms of the Royal Navy, as with Captain (1st Rank) Ota, and often become parental figures to their students.
Royal Navy, Student Sailors
As the XXth Generation came into adulthood, most were not afforded the luxury of studying as expatriate students in Europe or Asia; the vast majority, naturally, were educated in their own homelands, in neighboring cities or provincial capitals. Though all education expenses are paid by the state, the fifteen years of mandatory education most young people experience may serve as the intellectual foundation for a lifetime spanning several centuries; thus, many families compete for the best teachers and enrollment in the best academies. For legitimate military families, an education at sea is a popular choice: students between the ages of ten and sixteen may enroll in secondary education with active-duty ships of the line in the Royal Navy's fleets, where in return for performing peacetime maintenance, upkeep, and patrol duties, they're provided with room and board, excellent educations, and an early start on their military credentials.
Due to their relatively small size and high automation, a regular ship of the line may have twenty or more students in its class, joined by a half-dozen professional naval officers (including the instructor). After completing introductory courses in dock, the students set to sea, operating on one of three shifts each day, cooking class meals, and enjoying what leisure time they have outside of classes. Youngsters and adolescents are considered by some to be superior to newly-recruited adult sailors; their small size makes for easier accommodation and even accessing confined spaces, and they do not have their own dependents. Girls are more popular than boys, though both are common: on average, they eat and sleep less, and an unscientific truism suggests that, once reaching puberty, girls float better and thus are more likely to be natural swimmers.
Of all the branches of the armed forces, the navy had the most success in standardizing uniforms, inspired by foreign styles; as had been the case for thousands of years, schools are expected to provide clothing for their enrollees. The student sailor uniform consists of a flat-topped sailor cap affixed with the ship's badge, a flap collar and ribbon, and a short double-breasted jacket worn over a one-piece swimsuit; all in black, with white trim. Most teachers defer to students choosing to wear the white gloves, leather belts and thigh-high leather boots worn by their sisters and mothers in the military. Teachers wear the black or white uniforms of the Royal Navy, as with Captain (1st Rank) Ota, and often become parental figures to their students.