Quaternary education
Quaternary education refers to Illuminatia's system of continuing adult education. Achievement of periodical quaternary education credentials is required of all adults in Illuminatia on a continuing basis through the end of life. The purpose of quaternary education is to ensure all persons of a mature age maintain an up-to-date understanding of the modern world.
The Bureau of Education and Enlightenment (BEE) requires all adults who have not received a formal education more recently than 30 AU to partake in a quaternary education course in order to update their knowledge and understanding of the world to current standards. Enlightenment obtained voluntarily or recreationally through institutions such as museums, institutes, galleries, braineries, cerebariums, colloquiums, intellectariums, knowledgeariums, and preservatoriums can be applied toward a portion of one's recurring quaternary educational requirement. Like other levels of education, the BEE's Office of Curriculum and Programming (OCP) oversees the quality of the curricula and pedagogy styles at all institutions of quaternary education.
Funding for a basic quaternary education session is provided by the BEE, however individuals often apply for additional subsidies from their employers and their local tertiary assemblies to augment their educational and enlightenment experience, increase comfort, or supplement the experience with elective courses and extracurricular encounters.
Colleges and universities often offer a limited array of quaternary education courses and credentials in addition to their primary role providing secondary or tertiary degrees. Omniversities are a type of educational institution that exclusively provides programs in quaternary education without offering any other levels of education. Omniversities often provide an elevated educational experience in exchange for tuition that might be higher than the standard BEE subsidy. Other institutions that might provide quaternary education credentials include institutes, schools, academies, and laboratories.
Quaternary education is required equally of all persons irrespective of whether they acquired only a primary education, a secondary education, or even an advanced tertiary educational level of achievement. The time spent receiving these levels of education might delay the countdown until a person must pursue more education on a quaternary level, but all persons irrespective of their prior education level, occupation, wealth, or social status must partake in a quaternary education.
Illuminatia's cultural and educational institutions maintain an intricate network of quaternary educational facilities. It is most common for an individual to attend brief symposiums, seminars, and conferences throughout the year on a casual basis simply as a part of one's pursuit of understanding of the curiosities of the world. It is because of this that it is uncommon for a person to arrive at a quaternary educational interval with very little of their educational achievement remaining unfulfilled.
Quaternary education is considered important because Illuminatian culture highly values the individual's responsibility to take part in society, community dialogue, and political discourse throughout the life course. It is uncommon for a person of an elder demographic to retire or bow-out of the labor force, and therefore updated knowledge and understanding is required in order for a person to maintain competency and proficiency in their chosen discipline. The BEE has determined that a quaternary education system ensures Illuminatian residents maintain their relevance to society through the entirety of the lifespan.