Mandatory education - the defining feature of childhood in our world, extending well into one's teens. And yet a relatively young phenomenon as well, with children only being required (and in lower-class families, expected) to attend even elementary school in the past century and a half. Equestria is variably old-fashioned, and one might think a pony who has earned their cutie mark is ready to start work anyway.... but for the sake of relatability and promoting good values, child characters must be in school. (Except Spike for some reason.)

SO moving beyond the production-based rationales, what is the shape of Equestrian education for you? Does it differ from place to place? Has it changed in recent times? And how does Twilight's new-fangled institution fit in anyway?

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By law, nine years, from five or six to fourteen or fifteen. The density of this education, however, can vary significantly, from city schools on the same five-full-day week as their counterparts through the mirror to rural schoolhouses where one teacher alternates a few broad age groups. Sufficiently middle class (or better) ponies may supplement the latter with private tuition or just send their foals away to boarding school, while for middle class city ponies high school attendance varies between a social norm and an actual bylaw.

Note: the above mainly describes the ground pony system. Pegasus schooling is somewhat different but fulfils the same educational requirements.

The apparent disparity above is due not to class, but location. Ponyville is a rural town, their tradition is one-room schooling up through maybe eighth grade and then letting the kids out to tend the fields. High school is for larger, more urban settlements like Canterlot and Manehattan. After all, all but two of the foals in that first picture are middle class at the most and probably a good bit less well off than that.

14. How much formal schooling is an average, middle class pony expected to complete?
Equestria has a public education system which provides its citizens with the equivalent of a high school diploma. Since all of the educators have a special talent for teaching, this probably doesn't actually take twelve years to accomplish. Beyond that point a pony's studies are guided by their special talent.

The idea of mandatory school for foals is relatively new for Equestria, and time in this case doesn't matter because schooling would not be standardized like it is out in the human world. I would say that reading and writing has become expected of ponies, so they would learn that at least because they were given the desire to learn through social expectation. Math too would work it's way through all the types of ponies because it is universally applicable, but history, science, and philosophy would be left to the higher educated.

A pegasus would probably spend four years learning language and math, because most pegasi interests are performance based. An Earthpony would spend longer but their education beyond language and math would be highly specialized to a skill set like an apprenticeship. Unicorns are likely to spend at least a decade learning not only common equestrian language and math, but also the written form of magic and how to understand it. Despite Twilight's prowess, most unicorns will not take full advantage of it.

Unicorns are most likely to be taught at an early age because they are expected to learn more. What they were expected to learn was more uniform so, schools for foals probably opened in the capital first. Earthponies and pegasi playing the social game, wanted their foals in the school, and being so close to the palace the teachers would not be willing to risk starting a race riot, so without closing the public school, Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns opened to focus more on magic rather than writing because that would be easier for unicorn foals to learn thanks to their parents being able to help them at home.

I agree with 'it's about location'. I don't think that mandatory education is new, as a concept. Especially not with Celestia and Luna at the helm. You don't make teachers the rulers of your nation and not expect them to make education an important point.

I do think that ponies are adapting to their circumstances, though. Big cities have the bits for fancy (high) school buildings. Tax income allows them to hire a bunch of teachers and guide them through almost every field. A broad foundation, touching at least everything once on a superficial level, so that if they decide to pursue it, they may do so in further, more specialized education later on. It's a little more complicated in rural areas. Less inhabitants means less taxes means less funding for schools and teachers. The state can obviously barge in and alleviate that burden a little, but there is a point when it becomes unreasonable and ponies in the capital start questioning the crown's tax spending habits.

I think homeschooling plays a big part. It's not exactly a perfect substitute, and everypony knows that. But until conditions change, it's the best solution that's available. Some are okay with that. Others take great pains to ensure that their offspring get sent to a nearby city, to get the best education they can have.

With magic being a thing, education doesn't necessarily translate into bits. But I'm sure that there's a certain amount of... advertisement involved that tries to shape public perception of education as something worthwhile. Celestia would surely favor everypony getting as much stuff in their heads as possible, following the line of thinking of "better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it". Or shorter: Be prepared! (Sorry, not sorry.)

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The very fact that Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon are at that school when Canterlot isn't that far does raise questions, doesn't it? And that's leaving aside the matter of Spike.

One thing about having formal education being relatively recent is that apparent flaws might just be kinks not yet worked out. (I wonder what approach Princess Twilight will take to the system?)

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... a sledge-hammer? Just kidding. Though I do think she will... make quite a fuss. She's really good at organizing and reforming stuff, so... with the right perspective, reconfiguration of the entire educational system isn't so different from sorting a library.

As for Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, I think that might actually be a matter of 'rather being the big fish in the small pond than the small fish in the big pond'. I can imagine Canterlot elite-students eating those two for breakfast. (Not literally, hopefully.) And Spike is... well. He's a dragon. Most ponies know these as fearsome predators. Homeschooling him might have been the only viable option.

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Mentioning sledgehammers reminds me that she has another world's very modern education system to use as an example... good or bad.

As for Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, I think that might actually be a matter of 'rather being the big fish in the small pond than the small fish in the big pond'. I can imagine Canterlot elite-students eating those two for breakfast. (Not literally, hopefully.)

Possible, possible... though is that their thought pattern, or their parents?

And Spike is... well. He's a dragon. Most ponies know these as fearsome predators. Homeschooling him might have been the only viable option.

True... you'd think Celestia's word would mean something, but...

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Mentioning sledgehammers reminds me that she has another world's very  modern education system to use as an example... good or bad.

I'm gonna be honest - and I think I hinted at that in some other answer somewhere -, I'm undecided on the issue of Equestria Girls. If it's canon in my canon or not. 'My' Twilight certainly doesn't know about this world, although 'my' Celestia might. That being said... there are so freaking many educational systems in this world, and many, if not all of them, are flawed. Much to learn from them, sure. But... you know. It's never going to be as easy as 'copy & paste'.

Possible, possible... though is that their thought pattern, or their parents?

Seeing how the power dynamic in the relationship between Diamond Tiara and her mother is skewed, I'd say it's their parents' decision.

True... you'd think Celestia's word would mean something, but...

It would most likely make them try. In an effort to please their Princess. But at that point, it's about priority in the subconscious, and adoration and the wish to please takes a decidedly noticeable backseat to survival and the fear of getting roasted.

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I also have EQG as a variable, but one I default to "on".

That being said... there are so freaking many educational systems in this world, and many, if not all of them, are flawed. Much to learn from them, sure. But... you know. It's never going to be as easy as 'copy & paste'.

Indeed - it's a massive mess of information to work through. (Although that seems more likely to attract Twilight than repel her... the risk is that, with all the other demands on her time, this may lead to actual education reforms being put off till next century.

Seeing how the power dynamic in the relationship between Diamond Tiara and her mother is skewed, I'd say it's their parents' decision.

One might think Diamond Tiara's mother might prefer her to attend a more prestigious institution, where she could make better connections - but perhaps she fears her getting too far outside her control. Or perhaps Filthy (who in my headcanon had a less than fun experience attending an urban university as the "token hick") put his hoof down.

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Indeed - it's a massive mess of information to work through. (Although that seems more likely to attract Twilight than repel her... the risk is that, with all the other demands on her time, this may lead to actual education reforms being put off till next century.

That seems about right, yes. But then again... does that matter all that much? If it takes a while, I mean. I have a natural inclination to think long-term myself.

One might think Diamond Tiara's mother might prefer her to attend a more prestigious institution, where she could make better connections - but perhaps she fears her getting too far outside her control. Or perhaps Filthy (who in my headcanon had a less than fun experience attending an urban university as the "token hick") put his hoof down.

I think it's about control, yes. And maybe even fear. Parents coming together... what if she suddenly can't measure up to them?

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It's quite easy for an alicorn to do so. And yet, that means how many generations of ponies?

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I know, I know. But you run into the same issue with a lot of things. Poverty, homelessness - why not pour every single bit of tax income that isn't strictly needed elsewhere into that?

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Yeah, I wouldn't want Twilight's job either. (We can at least hope such things are rare in Equestria already.)

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I actually assume as much, yes. I don't think it's quite 'extinct'. Stuff can always happen, of course. You can't plan/prepare for everything. But I like to think that they have a firm grip on most issues of that kind.