Tragic: One Out of Three Teenagers Unable to Locate The Abyssal Plane on a Map
"We’re falling behind. I hear students in Mt. Celestia go to school year-round.”
A new study conducted by the Ministry of Arcane Education over the last 5 years reveals that planar geographical literacy has been on the decline among teenagers, with only one third being able to locate the Abyssal Plane on a cosmological map. Reports indicate that this news troubles several within the Ministry, who see knowledge of the planes are being a crucial skill in the near future. “There was a time when the planes tended to be more isolated, and protectionism was the prevailing ideology,” says Secretary of Education, Armoal Sphynnish. “But as local heroes gain power and experience, more and more of them are becoming allies of extraplanar entities. The multiverse is becoming a smaller place every day, and we need future generations to be prepared to greet these wonderful opportunities.”
There are those in favor of the shift, but not necessarily for the opportunities. “The outsiders are coming,” says doomsday prepper and non-parent Pov Aran. “We need to know as much about them as possible if we’re going to defend ourselves from their attacks.” Aran told The Dungeon Tribune. “There should be a whole semester about their resistances and immunities.” Aran also expressed concern about how easy it was for outlanders to cross the border ethereal.
Not everyone in the Ministry favors a movement to more planar focused curriculum, with many wondering how the extra learning objectives will be implemented. “The same study revealed that these students are deficient in Ancient Lore, Rumormongering, and Writing” says former teacher Hurol Kinfall. “Are we really going to take class time away from these subjects to teach them about planes they’ll never visit? You try telling parents that Heraldry is being cut so students can learn about Mechanus.” Kinfall, themself, has been a strong advocate for vocational training, and sees this as a move in the wrong direction. “We shouldn’t be adding more abstraction to the curriculum, we should be implementing practical education like Dungeoneering and Undercommon to prepare students for the modern job market.”
Logistical problems plague the movement as well. “Who are we going to get to teach this new curriculum?” asks current teacher Jarbin Dur Fisum. “I don’t know anyone who is qualified to teach such a subject. And if you can find one, good luck being able to afford them. Most people who know about planar geography are travelling, and they don’t often live long enough for a second career. Furthermore, I’m not even sure it’s fair to test students on 5th dimension geography that is in constant flux.”
The common ground all sides share is that change is necessary for future existence. “We’re falling behind,” says concerned parent and citizen Ezek Figlas. “I hear students in Mt. Celestia go to school year-round.”
As for the student perspective, no one bothered to ask any students their views on the issue.
There are still others that aren’t sure that the study reveals any useful information. “The study asked students to use the World Tree model when identifying planes,” says Headmaster Teroj Geannut “But who teaches the World Tree model anymore? Most of your better institutions use the World Axis model. No one believes in the multiple material planes theory anyway.”
