Education in the Southern Cross Republic

The education system in Southern Cross Republic is very diverse, because the constitution delegates the authority for the school system to the Districts and municipalities. The South Crosser constitution sets the foundations, namely that primary school is obligatory for every child and is free in public schools and that the republic can run or support universities.

Because of its diversity, there are many private international schools in Southern Cross Republic that encourage respect for all cultures. Diversification of the education system in 6 sub-systems is viewed by many as being inefficient. Consequently, it was voted on May 21, 1999 to reform the education system in one common program for all the Districts and municipalities.

Primary
The obligatory school system usually includes primary education and secondary education I. Before that, children usually go to kindergarten. The minimum age for primary school is about six years in all municipalities. Some municipalities allow five year olds to start primary school in exceptional cases. Primary school continues until grade four or five, depending on the school. Any boy or girl can take part in school if they choose to.

Secondary
At the end of primary school (or at the beginning of secondary school), pupils are separated according to their capacities in several (often three) sections. The best students are taught advanced classes to be prepared for further studies and the matura, while students who assimilate a little bit more slowly receive an education more adapted to their needs. This separation can be summarized as follows: The purpose of this system is to give every student an education that fits his or her needs and interests, but it is also criticized because it segregates children based on intellectual capacity. Secondary I school continues until grade nine, which marks the end of compulsory school. Secondary II is facultative, and is spread among many schools, depending of the Student's interest. The more important in term of enrollment are the Gymnasium which prepare the students for university. They are often separated in several schools, specializing in science and literature or business.
 * Pre-gymnasium: this division aims to prepare the students for gymnasium or other schools which deliver a National maturity diploma. Students often have the choice between a science stream (with many hours of mathematics, and an introduction to physics and chemistry) and a more literary stream.
 * Intermediate: this division targets intermediate students whose goal it is to go to technical or secretarial schools, for example.
 * Pre-professional: This division regroups students who are more interested in manual jobs, and prepares them for an apprenticeship by giving them strong bases in spelling, reading and mathematics.

Tertiary
Tertiary education depends on the education chosen in secondary education. For students with a matura, university is the most common one. Apprentices who did a vocational high school will often add a University of Applied Sciences to their curriculum. Southern Cross Republic has the high number of the foreign students in tertiary education. There are 15 Universities in Southern Cross Republic, 8 of which are maintained at national level and prominent 2 institutions are run by the municipalities of Santana and Bastos, both are renowned as a leader in Science and Technology education and research.