School of the High Inquisitor of Tiegang

The School of the High Inquisitor of Tiegang is a prestigious boarding school located in the Blackfriars district of the international settlement of Tiegang. Built from the ruins of several old Antican houses, the school functions to educate the children of the elites of the city and of the wider Micrasian world, in order to prepare them for their lives as leaders of the world or as important noblemen and women of their respective nations. Currently, there are 1,800 students enrolled at the school, with children being admitted at the age of 9, and graduating the year they turn 18. The school is run by a High Inquisitor, who is appointed by the Mandate Council.

The school sits on a large site that is surrounded by a defensive wall on the edge of the Blackfriars district, though it is said that there is a secret passage that connects the school's grounds to the cellar of the Blackfriars' Redux. The school is made up of several buildings, housing various classrooms, as well as extensive ground upon which there are several sports facilities, a stables and a forest.

Many of the staff live on site, as do many of the children, due to the nature of the school being a boarding school.

History

The school was founded in 1598 as a local boarding school in the city of Tyrenia, and survived throughout the years and various iterations of rulers of the city as a free independent school by making deals with the various governments of the area. This saw a variety of thoughts from around Micras influence the school, until 1687 and the establishment of Tiegang as an independent city state as part of the International Mandate for the Settlements in Apollonia, where the school suddenly became an institution of importance to the state. The school now exerts some level of influence on the government, with the children of many of the councillors enrolled at the school.

Enrolment

The school admits children from the age of 9, on condition that one of four entry requirements is met; either the child passes a notoriously hard entrance exam known as the Tough S.H.I.T. Entrance Examination with a score of 100%, the family of the child pays the school a fee equivalent to ₢ 250,000, at least one parent of the child is a regular patron of the Blackfriars' Redux, or a family member of the child performs a satisfactory mating ritual with a senior member of the school's staff.

Any child that does enrol at the school must be fluent in Istvanistani, as it is the language of instruction at the school, with the school limiting admittance to just 200 pupils per age group.

Education

Children are welcomed into the school at the age of 9 and complete nine years of education at the school, leaving once they reach the age of 18. Children stay on campus all year with the exception of the summer months, when they return home, whilst children can apply to go home for religious or cultural festivals.

Each school year is known by a collective name; Newbies (age 9–10), Morons (age 10–11), Idiots (age 11–12), Little shits (age 12–13), Arrogant pricks (age 13–14), off-brand sentient Pokémon (age 14–15), Dickheads (age 15–16), Storish wannabies (age 16–17) and Alcoholics (age 17–18).

Subjects

Children are taught a variety of subjects throughout their time at the school. Children are required to study at least 14 subjects throughout their school career, with a core curriculum being set until the age of 14, where children become free to choose to specialise in whatever subjects they are interested in. Some subjects are mandatory throughout a child's entire time at the school;

• Istvanistani
• Mathematics
• Native language (if different to Istvanistani)
• Foreign languages (children must study at least one non-native and non-Istvanistani language throughout their entire life at school)
• Natural sciences (includes Human Biology, Animal Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Astronomy)
• Sports (children take part in a variety of physical and sporting activities, with special emphasis on horse riding and football)

Some subjects are mandatory until the age of 14, after which they become optional as children specialise;

• Geography
• History of Apollonia
• History of Micras
• Cooking (the school has a heavy emphasis on baking)
• Design
• Classical art
• Music
• Cultural studies

Some subjects are not taught until the age of 14, after which they become optional;

• Psychology
• Social studies
• Democratic political leadership
• Authoritarian political leadership
• Animal husbandry
• Business studies
• Film studies (only offered to those students the school believes may struggle to pass their other subjects)
• Torture
• Political studies
• Diplomatic studies
• Alcohol studies (taught at the Blackfriars' Redux, from the age of 16)

Furthermore, there are two studies which are mandatory throughout the school, but are non-core subjects in which students are not examined in;

• Fundamental Understanding of Coital Knowledge (with parental approval)
• Religious studies (students study their own individual faith if they have one)
• Ethics (children are taught a variety of ethical understandings, and tackle difficult ethical questions)

Staff

The staff come from a variety of places from across Micras. The current High Inquisitor of the School (sometimes referred to as Headmaster) is the Senyan Joseph Hand. He took over the running of the school in 1691 by appointment of the Mandate Council. Many of the school's senior management are either councillors or are close friends/confidents of councillors. However, many of the staff are drawn from across Micras.

Links with other institutions

The School of the High Inquisitor of Tiegang is well connected to many other institutions around Micras. The School maintains links with a number of universities around Micras, who all accept diplomas given out by the school. The school also has a relationship with the Craitish CÓNECT academy, who provide football coaching to the youngsters during their sports classes. Furthermore, the school holds relationships with several other institutions within the city of Tiegang. These include Saint Richard's Asylum, who help provide pastoral care for the students and staff, as well as the Blackfriars' Redux pub, of whom many staff members are patrons and is where the school holds its Alcohol studies classes, which is reserved for select students aged 16 and above. Children are also taught how to bake bread by the local bakery during their cooking lessons, which has lead to the school's heavy emphasis on baking.

From an educational standpoint, the school offers an exchange programme with schools in Raspur.