Edjamacation, Shmedjamacation

[evanosu]

Whenever I play a game, I'm normally in very good standing with the Intellectual faction. I build a high school and a college and supply them with ample faculty. I supply housing near the schools (which I believe the "False Theory of Education" thread proved is not much of a factor) and even issue the Education edict. But still, I just can't get very many people to attend high school and college.

My higher-education positions normally fill up pretty quickly. Is the problem that there just aren't many positions for a high-school or college-educated worker open most of the time? Does education attendance rely on job availability??  

[Captain_Morgan]

It does seem that the more good jobs there are available, the more people enrolling in your higher learning program.  I never scientifically measured the cause and effect but through general observation I found this true - i.e. when you build a new unstaffed factory the high school tends to get more students, and then as it becomes staffed the attendance drops off again.  I have more of a problem myself getting people in colleges than high school, but then there aren't usually as many college jobs.

[Rodo]

You get people in school when there are no jobs for them.  Remember, you're talking about high school and college.  Want students, try a little unemployment.  In Tropico, individuals old enough to go to school are old enough to work!  A couple of things make them stay in school.  If they can't find jobs or if they get near the end of school, they will stick it out.  You don't see them in the job force (unless you follow them by name) because the dress the same as others in their job area.  High school kids get jobs after those who first had the jobs leave.  This is usually transparent.

In the long run, education is much cheaper than continuing to pay the "import fee" for off island help.  If you have always used high schools and colleges, you probably haven't seen the $25K fees for talent late in the game.  Try playing the game without education and watch your treasury dwindle.

[Tarl_Cabot]

I don't know about that, I've played several successful games where I didn't even build a high school.  The bookworms don't like it, of course, so that's why you arrest a few of 'em.

I've had good success with just skilled immigration workers.  Pay 'em a lot so they stay at their job.  Set to "skilled workers welcome," you can get up to something like 50% high school and 20% college immigrants.

Then you can also set it to "Love it or leave it" with an election around the corner, lots of the dissatisfied rabble rousers will leave.  The immigaration office can be one of the most important in the game, in my opinion.

[Moose_OLeanie]

i wholeheartedly agree that education seems to pan out better when you are dealing with unemployed islanders.

i think it's also important to make sure that the quality of life is better for those with a education than it is for the uneducated masses.  make sure that people with education get to have good housing and access to the stuff they enjoy.
this encourages joe peasent to go get a jobski so he can go live the good life.  

on the other side of the spectrum, it's rather possible to take a non-educated approach.  it's very inexpensive, but you are likely to draw the irk of the US for not having industry.  don't forget the power of a good ol' fashioned book burning if you want to send the bookworms packing and keep your wages reasonable.

best of luck with it...

[Dravin]

I love being installed by the KGB, it lets me have all the soilders I want without a highschool.

[General PinochetNut]

I agree with Dravin esppesialy when I'm planning to rule with an iron fist.  That lets me save educated workers for high profit industries(except tourism). I read that the more intelligent people go to school.

[Moose_OLeanie]

also worth noting that people pass down genetic "traits".

for example, someone with really high courage is more likely to have children with really high courage.  

so you can set up a police station and a few jails and imprison all of the people with undesireable traits (such as high leadership) and then "Open the Jails".  or have them take high paying jobs on that farm over there by the guard tower and then start having them shot in the fields, well away from prying eyes.

so it's technically possible to "geneticially engineer" your population to have certain traits.  this works pretty well for "immagrants out", where you have more of a controlled enviroment.

might be a good idea for a scenerio-- the island of dr. moreo or something, where you have to try and get all of your islanders to have at least high intelligence and low leadership.