Due to the early nature of the site’s history, the people of Pern are still inclined to put a lot of emphasis on the education of both young men and women as they grow up. However, it should not be assumed that the Pernese as a whole are well educated in math, reading or writing. Rather, a proper education is almost entirely reserved for the rich, the well off, and the extremely talented. It is incredibly rare for those without explicit talent to call attention by the Hall, and to become a student is a cost many families simply will never be able to afford.

As a result, while most children are educated between the ages of about five and twelve in the basics of reading, writing and mathematics, it is rare for them to keep up the education past the age of 12 – an age that is considered big and mature enough for the youngster to begin earning their living in the Hold or outskirt location in which they live. It should also be noted that larger Holds can chop and change who their Harper’s are, while smaller outskirt holdings may not have a Harper allocated to them at all. This, too, results in a sketchy and often diminutive education for the youngsters of the home location.

While the Teaching Ballads are well known, and the bones of an education are often seen in the majority of the population, further education is rare and most Pernese are instead ‘self-taught’ and do not have a formal education, or knots to indicate they have any particular knowledge. This can be seen in holds such as Half Circle in the Harper Hall trilogy, in which all of the members of the Hold are expected to be capable of doing their part – from fishing, to ship building, to net repairs to the cleaning and preparation of fish – however, none of them even hint at having a formal education. This is the norm for the Pernese population.

A Hall based education is a matter of pride and a demonstration of both prestige and riches for many of the Holder families. It can be noted that every son of a Holder will be well educated in the Craft of his desire, though it will usually be one that will (especially for an Heir) benefit the Hold and their lands upon his ascension of rank. An example would be an Heir learning Farm skills, in order to bring in a higher education and benefit farming lands within his Hold. Another example would be an Heir of a costal Holding being educated officially by the Seacraft, in order to benefit his Hold.

In contrast, not all daughters may be entered into a craft, depending on her father’s location, her current marital status, and whether or not a Crafter education will benefit her and her husband to any particular degree. That said, most women of good breeding are educated privately by a Harper, who will teach them how to manage the book keeping and finances of her future husband’s estates, so as that he can better occupy his time actually doing the things that need to be done. As a result, well-bred women are often highly educated in math, reading, writing and administration. They do not, however, generally obtain Knots, as they aren’t officially trained by the Hall.

Even if a young woman happens to come from a well bred family, her chances of getting into a Hall are slim to none. Rather, most women that manage to gain entrance into the Hall enter by a combination of convenience and talent. A young woman who is the daughter of two Crafter trained people living within a Craft Hall is likely to be educated on the premises that she lives within the setting, however, a formal education is not necessarily a given, just as a Weyrbrat is not guaranteed to Impress.

In a Real Life comparison, having a Crafter Education is similar to attending several years of extra education, with each level of that education reflecting upon the various levels that can be obtained within a college – the final resulting in a Mastership one specialty section of the Craft. While it is possible for Pern to have an individual that could have the smarts to major in two or more specialties in a Craft, it will not be happening to a Player run Character, and we advise they focus solely on their chosen Specialty.

It is particularly rare for a dragonrider to have a Crafter education – the exception being the Crafters that were stolen to Impress at Katila – due to the dedication and costing involved in undergoing a Craft education, and the fact that most Crafters are well bred individuals, or come from a long line of Crafters. While dragonriders might dabble in a craft, and some few Stands Impressions may be Crafters, it is rare and they are few and far between. Most dragonriders – like most crafters – come from a long line of Weyrbred folk.