They enter the galactic universities the first time. And the Alliance learns how brilliant, and how unorthodox, humans can be. -- Anon Guest
The concept of higher education is older than many might think. Basic learning covers the essentials everyone needs to know. Life skills, manners, standards of cleanliness and dress. As a civilisation gets more complicated, the basics expand.
So to do the levels of education.
Some use this to hold themselves above others. Hence the term "higher education'. A polity without class distinctions might use terms like, "specified education" but they rarely catch on.
Of course the Alliance has Universal Universities. What surprises many newcomers is the vast array of subjects on offer. Including topics that allow students to catch up with the basic standards of the Alliance.
How to read, write, and speak GalSimple - once one of your own has learned it. How to speak to other cogniscents with an expected measure of respect[1]. Basic livesuit training. How to use the low-grav toilets. Table manners. How to read various species' body languages, which is far more important than it seems.
The Humans welcomed in were offered all kinds of such remedial courses. Many initially believed the offer insulting, but soon recognised the necessity. That was when the Alliance learned another new fun fact about their friendly Deathworlders.
There is no hunger for knowledge more powerful than that of a curious Human.
After all, the first question they ask as children is, "Why?"
[1] "You respect me and I'll respect you" is not the fair exchange many seem to think it is.
[Photo by Thomas T on Unsplash]
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