Chapter 756: Miss Gotham's Misfortune (Part 1) (Patreon)

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Victor, Schiller, and Anna had been deeply concerned about the state of vocational education in Gotham.

Victor's passion lay in nurturing and educating young minds, Schiller aimed to elevate the overall educational standards of Gotham's residents, and Anna believed that students graduating from vocational education institutions could provide a higher-quality pool of talent for Gotham University, instead of annually admitting a group of despairing illiterates.

Due to Gotham University's unique geographical location, it was exceedingly challenging to attract top-notch students from the bustling metropolis. High-quality candidates from the entire East Coast either enrolled in Ivy League schools or chose other universities in Metropolis, with very few daring to venture to Gotham for their education.

The students who did come to Gotham were usually left with no other options. They either harbored a deep desire for higher education or were local students wishing to remain in their hometown.

The former group typically lacked exceptional talent and skills, often hailing from small seaside towns like Brooklyn. Their inability to access larger city universities forced them to take a chance on Gotham, where their subpar foundational education made teaching them an uphill battle.

As for the local Gotham students, there were two main categories. The first consisted of those genuinely interested in learning but unable to leave their hometown, resulting in their absence from out-of-town schools.

However, these students were the most orthodox natives of Gotham, possessing all the fine qualities of Gotham Citizens. Although they had potential, they were exceptionally difficult to discipline, with their minds seldom focused on academics. As long as they refrained from using their high intelligence for criminal activities, it was considered a blessing.

The second category of local students resembled Evans, the Gang descendants. The mob bosses had no interest in their children acquiring knowledge at school; they simply wanted to improve their children's reputation by sending them to college.

While there were some exceptional students among them, their numbers were scarce, and the majority of them concentrated their efforts on managing their family industries. Their attendance at school was merely a formality, and they were unlikely to take their studies seriously.

This composition of students made it challenging for Gotham University to rank among the top East Coast educational institutions. Frankly speaking, it was at the bottom of the list, but it managed to hold its ground due to the overall decent quality of education on the East Coast.

To address this situation, Schiller and a group of dedicated Gotham University professors, led by him, decided to start with fundamental education.

However, implementing compulsory education in Gotham was impossible. There was no foundation for mandatory or universal education, so the only way to encourage more people to seek education was through incentives. In other words, they had to teach people skills that would yield quick returns in a short period, thus enticing them to enter school.

For this purpose, Schiller and others had long devised a plan for vocational education.

However, previous attempts to establish vocational education institutions had faced significant resistance. Since the focus was on incentives, it was natural for people to become entangled in financial interests. Too many individuals wanted to meddle in education, dictate what teachers and students should focus on, and use school professors for their own purposes.

But if they allowed this to happen, everything would ultimately revert to square one, and they would fail to achieve the goal of getting more people onto the path of systematic education.

Therefore, this vocational education institution had to remain independent of all external influences, which was no easy feat.

However, Schiller had a ready-made point of leverage: Gotham University itself.

For certain reasons, this place had become his territory. All of Gotham's gangs knew that regardless of the circumstances, they could not enter this university and disrupt the students' studies.

If the students here failed to complete their assignments on time due to the gangs' interference, something terrifying would happen.

Since Schiller became a professor at Gotham University, this unspoken agreement had become a norm for the Gotham gangs. In most cases, Gotham University was a sanctuary within Gotham City, offering an excellent learning environment.

Given this, it made sense to expand the scope of Gotham University and directly incorporate the vocational education institution into its educational system as Gotham University's prelude.

This approach would allow them to identify more talented children from the civilian class, enabling them to enter the university for further studies, instead of relying solely on the rare geniuses and wealthy second-generation students seeking prestige.

Furthermore, vocational education students who passed their exams to enter the university would develop a habit of learning, helping to rectify the rough and unrefined thinking patterns of Gotham Citizens. They would encourage more logical thinking, which would, in turn, influence the next generation.

Additionally, even those who didn't pursue higher education after completing their pre-university studies would possess practical skills to sustain themselves, thus improving their income. This, in turn, would enable them to provide better conditions for their own descendants, including educational opportunities.

In a series of long-term educational reform plans, the first generation was essentially a trial run or a blood-making machine. Its primary purpose was to identify those with more rational aspirations for knowledge and help their descendants gradually establish themselves in Gotham's middle class. With this foundation, subsequent top-down reforms would become easier.

After the plan for Gotham's vocational and technical college was set in motion, Victor handled most of the administrative procedures. Fortunately, Mayor Roy and his associates were aligned with their goals, and the state council had little influence over them, so obtaining the necessary facilities, funding, and materials proved to be relatively effortless.

Previously, Lex Luthor had donated a new research building to Gotham University. However, due to the tight construction schedule, more than half of it had yet to be completed. Only one phase of the building was finished, and the vocational education institute was situated within this newly constructed building.

Gotham University wasn't lacking in funds, so its facilities and resources were commendable. Moreover, there was a sizable open area for practical training. Ignoring the fact that dorms and classrooms were only two floors apart, it was essentially a perfect vocational education institution.

Once the school was established, the next step was admissions. Initially, Victor was inclined to exclude individuals forced into the school by powerful gangs, but Schiller disagreed with him.

Schiller believed that this time, the gangs wouldn't push their own children into this vocational education school.

Most mob bosses had short-sighted views; they thought they had earned enough money in their lifetimes, and why should their children toil when they could enjoy life on their family's riches?

The composition of students inside Gotham University further confirmed this. The majority of gang members' children opted for majors with more appealing names. Art majors were the most popular, particularly those that sounded sophisticated, like fine arts or art criticism.

The gang members sent to the vocational education school were mostly middle-ranking individuals with nimble minds within their factions. Unlike the lower-ranking members who needed to patrol and maintain the gang's territory daily, these individuals had more free time. Additionally, the technical demands of their roles were higher.

In a given area, the management of water supply, electrical arrangements, cold storage operation methods, and the sequence of goods logistics all required the expertise of these individuals. However, because they lacked such skills, the gangs were eager to send them to school for proper education.

After reaching a consensus on this issue, Victor agreed to admit gang-affiliated students. However, their admission came with conditions: paying tuition fees was a must, and the gang sending students to the school had to ensure the safety of the school's buses and cargo trucks while providing basic material support for the vocational education institution.

This process was the most time-consuming, as it involved negotiations with a variety of gangs, each with its own territorial interests. No one was willing to compromise. After lengthy negotiations, the enrollment list was finally confirmed.

Upon seeing the list, Victor, Schiller, and Anna all noticed a peculiar name – Theresa Goth.

"What's going on? Doesn't the Goth family own shipyards? They're a prominent family in Gotham. Why would Mrs. Goth send her daughter to a vocational education school?" Anna, who was well-acquainted with Gotham's situation, frowned and rested her chin on her finger. "A delicate young lady like her should be learning musical instruments or fine arts. Why would Mrs. Goth have her learn auto repair?"

Victor shook his head, appearing perplexed, while Schiller had no idea of Mrs. Goth's intentions.

He speculated for a moment before saying, "Some time ago, I saw them, mother and daughter, at the theater. At that time, Detective Gordon informed me that the Goth and Vit families were discussing a marriage arrangement."

"If that's the case, Miss Goth probably won't finish university before getting married. After graduating from the church, she'll likely marry right away."

"Now it seems that there might be some issues with the engagement. The Goth family probably doesn't want to proceed with the marriage to the Vit family. However, breaking off the engagement requires a reason. By sending her daughter to university, Mrs. Goth can't possibly expect young Mr. Vit to wait until Miss Goth finishes her education before marrying her, right? This way, they can legitimately escape the engagement."

"That makes sense," Anna and Victor nodded in agreement. Anna continued, "This also explains why Mrs. Goth couldn't wait until September for the official start of university and had to hurriedly send Miss Goth here. If she had waited until September, the wedding might have already taken place."

"And I suspect Miss Goth is still entangled with that young man from the Vit family," Victor's imagination ran wild, and he added, "The mother can't forcibly separate them, so she sent her daughter to school. As long as they're apart, they might forget about each other in a few months."

All three of them nodded in agreement, finding their speculations reasonable.

However, at this moment, Victor faced a dilemma. He said, "A young lady from a wealthy family, enrolled in the automotive repair technology class taught by Professor, not to mention whether she can learn the skills, just the truck's tire alone, she probably can't lift them, right?"

Schiller snorted and said, "If she can't lift them, she'll have to find a way. Learning is all about overcoming challenges. If she can't move the tires, she won't move them; if she can't remove the screws, she won't remove them; if she can't memorize her books, she won't memorize them. Then what's the point of having teachers?"

"Correct, I understand these young ladies too well. They may seem fragile on the surface, unable to carry burdens or lift things, and a gust of wind might knock them over. But if you take them shopping, they can walk for more than ten hours without stopping," Anna said with a slight smirk.

"I don't care about her reasons for coming here," Schiller said as he tapped the table. "As long as she's in school, she must study diligently, excel in her studies, and graduate. Everyone is held to the same standard, and Wayne is no exception. Does the Goth family think she's stronger than Wayne?"

Anna and Victor exchanged knowing glances, both of them sporting mischievous smiles. It was clear that they had heard about Bruce Wayne's near-dismissal due to insufficient credits at the hands of Schiller.

Schiller picked up his cane and stood up. "Tomorrow is the first day of school at the vocational education institution. I will attend classes throughout the day. If anyone dares not to study diligently, I will personally have a conversation with their boss."

Seeing Schiller's cold smile, both Victor and Anna shivered in unison.

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Next Chapter>>Chapter 757: Miss Goth's Unpleasant Surprise (Part 1)