Theory Confused about Equestrian Education

[Oakley 10]

It might be like it was in much older societies, where you often simply learned the family trade.

 

That would explain why the apple family have related cutie marks

[Simcity11100 772]

Most ponies drop out of middle school during six grade because they learned all the basics they need to know.

[The Other Mike 10]

Equestria seems to be mostly a pre-industrial society. The traditional k-12 school system as we know it developed out of the needs of factories to have skilled workers. The simple one room type school house we see in Ponyville is probably the only education most ponies ever need. Places like Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns aren't very common as the only people who would need that level of education would be scholars and researchers. Other specialized schools like the Pegasus summer flight camp would teach specific skills that only certian ponies would need.

[Loona 287]

Twilight went to Magic Kindergarten then her parents signed her up for Celestia's School For Gifted Unicorns

 

And in the episode where Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash is in Flight Camp, too. Pegasus also need to learn to fly, I guess.

(Also, Rainbow Dash is so tiny there :3 Does this mean that Fluttershy is older than Rainbow Dash or something?)

[FedoraMemes 582]

Well, my theory is that Celestia's School is the college for Unicorns, Flight School is the Pegasi one, and there must be a college for Earth Ponies, but maybe Pinkie Pie and Applejack either dropped out or graduated. Or instead of a college specifically for Earth Ponies, it's more of a general University, rather than focusing on one subject, like Magic or Flying. This school is for any species of pony.

 

For little fillies, there must be the Magic school and flight school for fillies, and the general school in Ponyville, for any species to attend, so basically the same as the part before.

[Hatguy 38]

It seems to me that beyond elementary education there are several high school like options (flight school and school for gifted unicorns) beyond that I had assumed that there was no formalized education but that if you wanted to expand your education there were masters of trades and skilled thinkers that you could learn from (similar to Pythagoras, Socrates, or Aristotle) for example it seems likely that Starswirl the Bearded had some disciples that wanted, to expand their magical knowledge.

[silvadel 1,393]

Actually it doesnt seem to me that a equestrian year is 365 days like a terran year. We do know it cant be fewer than 140ish days because Pinkie pie says that someponies birthday is in 140odd days. My guess is that ponies in MLP live about as long as humans do here, but that their year is shorter -- say 180 days instead of 365. That would bring the Granny Smith comment into line. Seeing as they change the seasons themselves pretty much, it would make a lot more sense to have a shorter year as then you wouldnt need to stockpile as much for winter etc.

[Smokin'HotRarity 182]

According to this guy, education is highly overrated.

 

truthcontest.com

 

However, science has gotten us into this mess, and only science can get us out. There are some chemicals too complex for nature to digest.

[Silverhoof 2,844]

Remember the show is set in Ponyville...a village. Its a simplified allegory for turn of the century America. One room school house for the few children is sufficient. Manehatten likely has schools and high schools we are more familiar with. Industrial cities need such things.

 

Canterlot has higher education because there is a greater concentration of wealth there. The elite of the unicorns live there. So higher educational opportunities and even a university will be found in such a place. Private schools for the wealthy like Celestia's are easily placed in such a setting.

 

With a few exceptions, Equestria is a picture of turn of the century America...If I had to give a year, I would say 1904.

Techno Ponies like Photo Finish and Vinyl Scratch are the exceptions, and they reveal a possible cross-dimensional link with Earth. (advanced technology seems to work just as well with Unicorn magic as with electricity so they may be much more isolated than you may think...but that's another thread.)

[sweetolebob18 728]

In the USA up until WWII, most people only went to school until 8th grade.  Outside of big cities a lot of places had 1 room school houses where several grades were combined.  IMO Ponyville is like that.