Rome Must Perish-Chapter 312 - 191: Food Supply and Education_2

At this moment, Kefisofon began to speak: "Leader, I have a few questions."

"Go ahead."

"Among the Scodis people who have joined our tribe, more than 60 children are over six years old, and among the Segestica prisoners, there are more than 200 children over six years old. Should our Cultivation Department also teach these children to read and do arithmetic?"

"Of course." Maximus replied without hesitation: "Doing so not only demonstrates our tribe’s goodwill to the Segestica people and the Skodisqi, showing them through action that we treat all ethnicities equally. It also aims to enhance the capabilities of the next generation of our tribe and accelerate their integration into our tribe."

"I understand." Kefisofon said seriously: "There is just an urgent issue in the Cultivation Department that needs to be addressed. The teachers who originally taught the children literacy and arithmetic were few in number, being slaves and poor people who had received specialized education from a young age. Now that the tribe has settled down, they will soon be allotted land and will be busy farming and supporting their families, leaving them no extra time to teach the children."

Maximus thoughtlessly said: "This issue is easy to solve. Those teachers in the Cultivation Department, like the artisans in the Public Works Department, will receive salaries from the tribe. Their land will be tilled by the Reserve Tribe Members, so they only need to focus on teaching the children.

After next year’s autumn harvest, we will begin to charge tuition fees for the children who come to learn. The fees can be set low enough for the parents to easily afford. With such an investment, the children will work harder, the parents will be more attentive, and it will also be a supplementary revenue for the tribe."

"But even if the fees are low, some stingy parents might not want to pay for their children to learn." Kadesos reminded.

"They will pay." Maximus smiled meaningfully: "In the future, the tribe will issue a decree stating that any tribesman who is illiterate or cannot do basic arithmetic cannot serve as officers in the military, cannot become tribal officials, or serve as subordinates in various departments. We will even stipulate that to receive a rank above Knight and become tribal nobles, one must be literate and numerate. For the sake of their own children’s future, do you think they will pay?"

"I think they definitely will." Kefisofon expressed admiration.

Someone in the hall was unable to sit still: "Leader, if the tribe issues this decree, then we—" The speaker was Flanitnus, who is illiterate. Not only him but several others like Karina, Acronis, and Lebilus are also illiterate.

Maximus spoke earnestly: "The reason we staged a rebellion against Rome was because of our low status and oppression. Our stomachs were not full, let alone have money for education, so it’s quite normal not to be literate. Therefore, this decree that will be issued is targeted at our next generation and those tribesmen who join the tribe in the future. As for those who fought against Rome, trekked arduously from Italy, and established the Nix Tribe, there will not be stringent requirements.

However, you all are now high-ranking members of the tribe. In the future, you will manage tens of thousands of tribesmen. If you are illiterate, aren’t you afraid that the tribesmen will secretly laugh at you, damaging your prestige? Moreover, if you become literate and numerate, it’s not easy for your subordinates to deceive you, right?"

Flanitnus and the others were deeply moved.

Maximus seized the opportunity and said: "Kefisofon, I remember that after we left Sarabia and started our march, we stopped adult education. I think we can start it again now. Once this decree is issued, I estimate many tribesmen will want to learn.

"Leader, restarting literacy and arithmetic education for the tribesmen is not a problem. But the current issue is that we don’t have enough facilities to accommodate so many students.

You see, this time our Cultivation Department received two mansions, one originally for our office and the other for teaching children. But we originally had 267 children to teach, and even if we use both mansions for teaching, the space is still insufficient.

Moreover, more than half of these children don’t have parents. According to the Agricultural Department subordinates, they haven’t arranged other accommodations for these parentless children, so they suggest that our Cultivation Department manage them and arrange for them to live in the mansions belonging to us—"

Kefisofon hadn’t finished his complaints when Maximus’s face darkened, and he looked at the Agricultural Officer: "Volenus, what is going on here?!"

Despite Maximus suppressing his anger, Vobnus noticed his irritation and became flustered, his tongue twisting uncontrollably: "Lea... Leader, the tribe... just moved in, lodging is quite tight, we... thought that the children were small, they could squeeze in a bit and get through these days... shouldn’t be a problem."

"It’s precisely because the children are small and not as strong as adults that crowding them together creates more problems! I’ve said many times before that children are our future and need careful nurturing... Have you forgotten all those words?" Maximus reprimanded, and Vobnus remained silent, head down.

Seeing him as frightened as a soaked quail, Maximus’s anger dissipated considerably, and his tone softened: "I also bear some responsibility. These days, I’ve been too busy to care for the children. The Cultivation Department’s affairs are demanding, but they also need to care for the children’s daily living, which might be beyond their capability. So, these parentless children will henceforth be taken care of by the Chief’s main residence. Acronis, as Chief of Internal Affairs, you must take on this responsibility."

Acronis responded happily: "Leader, rest assured, I will ensure the children eat well, sleep well, and grow healthily..."

Maximus smiled, then said: "Earlier, Kefisofon, you didn’t finish speaking. Since the current space is insufficient for teaching the existing children, and with the Skodisqi and Segestica children joining soon, as well as the adult tribesmen needing education, the current space will be even less adequate... Is this what you wanted to say?"

Kefisofon nodded.

"Our tribe should build a school to facilitate the teachers in teaching children. As for how the school should be constructed, what style it should be, Kefisofon, you can discuss with Capito. However, the school’s completion might take some time, but the children’s learning cannot be delayed. I remember there are several noble courtyards in Westeni Village that are unoccupied, how many are there?"

"Eight," Vobnus answered.

"Then allocate five of those mansions to your Cultivation Department as a temporary school. Should that be enough?"

"It’s enough." Kefisofon showed a worried expression: "But most of the teachers and the children live here in Snowdonia, and the distance between the two places is a bit far. The children would have to travel there every day to study, consuming time and energy..."

"Only about ten to twenty li." Maximus said seriously: "The Cultivation Department can organize the children for a daily march to Westeni for study, returning in formation at dusk, thereby serving as regular military training for the children.

These children have previously been unable to fill their stomachs, frequently subjected to beatings and scolding, hardly daring to hope for knowledge acquisition. Now, given this great opportunity to learn, I’m sure they understand the value of it better than anyone and don’t view it as suffering."

Kefisofon was persuaded and agreed to bring the children to Westeni for learning every day.

"Since the teaching venue has been moved to Westeni, then one of the two mansions originally allocated here to the Cultivation Department will be reclaimed and temporarily handed to the Medical Department. The remaining three mansions in Westeni will also be temporarily assigned to the Medical Department for treating the injured... Horace, will this be sufficient?"

Horace was about to raise this issue, but he was pleased to see Maximus had addressed it ahead of time, so after a moment’s thought, he said: "It should be enough to accommodate the current wounded, but the doctors and nurses in the Medical Camp will have to look after the wounded daily, they may not have the time—"