Chapter 168 The First Curriculum Meeting
"I feel like I'm being told something unbelievable... but..."
"Please don't mind, Miss Cordelia. Everyone's surprised about Ms. Sara, so..."
"Haaa..."
It seems that the feeling of being "surprised" is something they get used to. At first, everyone is shocked by Sara's unconventional nature, but once they get used to it, they readily accept it. Cordelia will probably get used to it soon too.
"Well, let's put aside the story about Ms. Sara and move on to the curriculum discussion."
Despite being an overpowered protagonist, she was easily dismissed by Rebecca. It could be said that Rebecca was burning with ambition.
"My specialty is economics, so I compiled a textbook on calculations that I'm relatively good at. The original book is still used at the Academy, but it's a bit unfriendly to beginners, so I added explanations and it ended up becoming a large quantity."
Thomas took out the draft, looking embarrassed, and the amount was enormous.
"Did you compile all of this by yourself while working as a tutor?"
Cordelia couldn't hide her surprise as she looked over the draft.
"I get absorbed in enjoyable things, so I ended up doing it."
Thomas answered with a wry smile, and Cordelia's expression turned slightly stern as she cautioned him.
"Mister Thomas, Ms. Sophia said in our village that 'lack of sleep is the enemy of good work.' To create a high-quality textbook, we can't push ourselves too hard."
"Ah, yes... Ms. Sophia is right, of course."
Cordelia continued the conversation, looking at Thomas who nodded in agreement.
"This textbook is too difficult, so let's split it into smaller volumes. There's too much that isn't taught in elementary education. Honestly, even I don't understand it by the second half."
Thomas's math textbook, created from scratch, covered content from 1st grade to high school graduation. The original math book actually started from upper elementary school level, but Thomas added the content he used to teach Scott from the beginning, making it a massive tome.
"That's right. If we put it all in one book, it'll be ridiculously expensive. I don't think Ms. Sophia would object to splitting it into smaller volumes, but I'll contact her just in case."
Rebecca suggested splitting the textbook, and Alicia the Alchemist Girl, holding an early draft of the elementary education section, shared her opinion.
"If we split it, let's reduce the amount of text in the first part and add pictures along with formulas. For example, we could create a problem like 'If you buy 5 Elmas and eat 2, how many are left?' and actually draw a picture of Elma. That way, even kids who aren't used to numbers can understand."
Cordelia agreed with Alicia the Alchemist Girl's opinion.
"I also teach in class by actually arranging stones and such. People do calculations surprisingly often in their daily lives. By mastering the technique of replacing everyday calculations with formulas, many kids can greatly improve their math skills."
However, Amelia the Pharmacist Girl looked slightly unhappy.
"But, if we add illustrations, the printing cost will also increase. The illustrations take up a lot of space, after all. Even if we divide it into multiple volumes, the number of pages will still be quite high."
Amelia the Pharmacist Girl replied, based on her experience with illustrating a book on plants written by Alexander.
"I see. Then, we only need to include diagrams in the early parts, and we can adjust the page count for the latter half of the book. Still, it'll probably end up being around 4 or 5 volumes. Doesn't this also include the scope of what people learn in the Academy? Wouldn't it be better to publish that part as a separate book? I think it's okay to stop at the level of passing the entrance exam."
Alicia the Alchemist Girl, who had skipped to the latter half of the conversation, chimed in, and Thomas smiled with amusement.
"As expected, Ms. Aristos' opinion is different, isn't it?"
"Please, Mister Thomas, stop it. It's so embarrassing."
Cordelia looked surprised.
"Oh, Ms. Aristos, does that mean Ms. Alicia the Alchemist Girl is Mr. Theofrastos' daughter?"
"Ah, yes. How did you know that?"
"One of my students who entered the Academy told me that there's a girl who tried to disguise herself as a boy to get in. And it's a girl from Grandchester, no less. To my female students, Ms. Alicia the Alchemist Girl is an idol, you know."
"Eeeeeee!"
Actually, Cordelia's students are overwhelmingly girls. Rather, Cordelia's private academy is the only one that girls can attend. As a result, girls from far away take the time to commute, and there's no end to them. Moreover, since it's located within a settlement of women, boys who have grown to a certain extent can't attend, which is another issue.
"Would you like to come to my private academy and chat with me if you have the chance?"
"Eh, what's so special about me, Mr. Thomas?"
"No, no, Ms. Aristos was amazing, wasn't he? I won't forget that debate tournament."
"Hehe, my students were also excited like that too."
"I'm so embarrassed..."
After this, the number of girls who want to work at the Maiden's Tower and study hard to become like Alicia the Alchemist Girl suddenly increases. However, Alicia the Alchemist Girl herself becomes shy when talking about her experiences at the Academy, so it's difficult to hear specific stories from her directly.
However, when her story is told, the Academy graduates who work as office maids or in the merchant guild share detailed accounts of her research papers and debate tournament performances, and as a result, her legend grows.
"As Ms. Alicia said, let's leave the scope of the Academy's textbooks to you. Our funds are not unlimited, so let's focus on compiling textbooks for elementary education first and then create more advanced content later."
Rebecca said this decisively, and Thomas began flipping through the manuscript with a rustling sound.
"So, it's around here, right? But about half of it is written in a way that I taught Scott, so..."
"Well, I guess that's Mister Thomas's original work, then."
"When I taught Scott math, I first wrote down the content based on the prep school textbooks I used before entering the Academy. But since he didn't understand it well, I had to explain it from the very basics. I never thought it would be useful to others."
"Mister Thomas, doesn't that make me seem like a really stupid kid?!"
Scott, who was studying at a nearby table, responded with indignation. Blaze was holding his belly in laughter.
"No, no, it's not like that at all, Scott. Until then, I had never been a tutor, and Scott, you were my first student. So, I didn't have a good grasp of what level a normal kid would be at..."
Thomas was no ordinary child. He was a prodigy, and he had entered the Academy at the age of 10. So, he didn't really understand Scott's level of knowledge. And besides, he had only attended prep school for half a year, so from his perspective, it was a place where they only taught what he already knew.
Of course, Cordelia correctly recognized the hidden meaning behind Thomas's words.
"So, for Mister Thomas, teaching Mr. Scott and Mr. Blaze is also a valuable experience, isn't it?"
"That's right. By becoming a teacher, I feel like my perspective has broadened."
"I still have a lot to learn from my students. Humans are creatures that learn throughout their lives, after all."
But, as Cordelia and Thomas were watching with serious faces, Amelia the Pharmacist Girl couldn't help but let out a sigh.
"I'm different from all of you, who have received proper education. Honestly, I don't even understand half of the manuscript. My family was poor, and when I was a child, I was mostly gathering herbs. Fortunately, Sir Alexander taught me various things, but I didn't receive formal education, so when I see these fundamental textbooks, I realize how lacking I am."
"But, Ms. Amelia, don't you have experience and knowledge as a pharmacist? Isn't that more valuable than this basic education?"
Amelia the Pharmacist Girl nodded in response to Rebecca's words.
"Yes. I'm not belittling myself. I do have the necessary knowledge, and denying that would be rude to Sir Alexander as well. However, when I get the chance to observe Mister Thomas's lessons, I can't help but feel envious. I wish I had studied harder when I was a child. The truth is, I'm not very good at reading and writing, so I can't create texts smoothly like Mister Thomas. What I really want to do is create an illustrated guide of the plants in the Secret Garden as soon as possible..."
"So that's how it is. If that's the case, please attend my lessons. In return, please teach me and my students about natural sciences. If we have time, I can even help you with creating textbooks."
Thomas's proposal made Amelia the Pharmacist Girl smile sweetly.
"That's a wonderful proposal. Thank you very much."
"Ms. Sara will probably be jealous. After the hunting competition is over, she'll surely be delighted to participate."
However, Amelia the Pharmacist Girl looked troubled when she heard Rebecca's words.
"Having Ms. Sara join us would be great fun. But, Lady Rebecca, aren't you planning to establish an educational institution to bring joy to many children, just like me?"
"Yes, that's the plan, Miss Cordelia."
"I know it's a presumptuous request, but couldn't you also provide opportunities for many poor children to learn?"
Then, Cordelia gently took Amelia the Pharmacist Girl's right hand and gave it a light squeeze.
"You're saying the same thing as me, Ms. Amelia (Pharmacist Girl). As it happens, Ms. Sophia has proposed to me that 'basic education, including simple reading and writing, should be free.' She even said that 'if they perform well, we can exempt them from tuition fees for higher education.' I'm planning to bring my private school students to the new educational facility."
Rebecca also wore a delighted expression.
"Hehe. And lunch will be provided for free, too. This is also to help train the cooks of Grandchester Castle. Uh, I think it'd be better if we could distribute the textbooks as well, but I'll need to discuss it with Ms. Sophia."
As Amelia the Pharmacist Girl heard this, she raised her right hand, which was being held by Cordelia, and clasped Cordelia's hand with her left, as if to envelop it.
"That's...I don't know how to put it into words...I'm incredibly happy. But maybe, just a little, I'm envying those kids. ......No, it's not that. My mentor (Alexander) is still an amazing person!"
Rebecca, Thomas, and Cordelia, the 3 people on the "teaching side," thought of showing Amelia the Pharmacist Girl's expression to Alexander, the one who had guided her this far, the moment they saw her face. Amelia the Pharmacist Girl's expression was that proud and beautiful.
"Oh my, looking at Ms. Amelia the Pharmacist Girl's face, it's as if she's talking about her ideal man rather than her mentor."
Cordelia teased, and Amelia the Pharmacist Girl's face turned bright red.
"T-that's not true!"
"Yes, it is!"
"Don't tease me~."
Alicia the Alchemist Girl at the side also had a sly smile on her face, poking fun at Amelia the Pharmacist Girl with her finger. It seemed like they had become fast friends.
"Hehehe, it's cute, but we don't have much time, so let's wrap up today's meeting quickly. I also need to report back to Ms. Sara and Ms. Sophia."
Everyone's face tensed up at Rebecca's words. Since Cordelia was in charge of taking notes, she glanced at her memo to confirm.
"Um, how about dividing the math textbook into 4 to 5 volumes, and including illustrations in the first few chapters? And as for the Academy's curriculum, it might be better to publish it separately from this textbook. Since it's a product of the merchant guild, we can't make a decision without considering the budget, so we can't decide without consulting Ms. Sophia."
Rebecca nodded in agreement.
"I'll contact her about it. I think she'll approve, but she might have opinions on the number of volumes or the scope of publication."
"Then, I'll continue working on the literacy textbook. I've already finished about half of it, so I think I can have the first draft ready in about 3 days. May I get your opinions on it as well?"
"""Of course, you can."""
And with that, they scheduled their next meeting for 3 days later and adjourned.
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