Education in Laioria

Education in Laioria is managed by the Ministry for Education since its standardisation in 1993. It is more similar to international models of education than to the US model, mainly due to the British colonial legacy in the country.

Laiorian children start school at the age of 5 in primary school. After their P Level exams aged 10 or 11, they move to secondary school. After they finish their S Level exams aged 15 or 16, they may either leave education, go into an apprenticeship or study A Levels.


 * Mandatory education:
 * Primary: 1st - 6th Grades (5-11 years old)
 * Secondary: 7th - 11th Grades (11-16 years old)
 * Further education:
 * Sixth Form: 12th - 13th Grades (16-18 years old)
 * Technical Academy (vocational): T1 - T4 (16+ years)

Grading is the same in Laioria regardless of qualification taken. Students are given a numbered grade from 1 to 10, with 1 being the lowest and 10 being the highest, however the passing mark varies according to the difficulty of the examination. There is only one examination board in the country, the Laiorian Qualifications Authority.

The infamous difficulty of Laiorian examinations have led to calls for the system to be heavily overhauled, with even the University of Laioria suggesting that some of the content in A Level syllabuses are tougher than degree level.

Further education
The exams taken by those in further education are A Levels. These are usually two-year syllabuses which take either a vocational or academic structure.

A Grade 5 is a passing mark at A Level. Since 2017, the University of Laioria has translated these grades into L3 Points based on their academic rigour and the candidate's success. The Laiorian A Level is often derided for being extremely difficult and the content being much tougher and far more specialised than similar qualifications in other countries (and at university level).

In 2024, the Laioria Technical Academies will be opened, offering more specialised vocational qualifications than more academic A Levels.

Higher education
The only university in the country is the University of Laioria, as well as the National Conservatoire of Laioria. Due to this, the majority of university hopefuls apply for international places.

The University admits candidates based on their (a) number of L3 Points, calculated from their A Level grades; (b) personal statement, of 4 000 characters; and (c) their interview. For Laiorian citizens, university and conservatoire education is paid for by tuition fees, however these are significantly higher for international students. Bursaries and university scholarships also do not favour international students.