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School - Version 6 vs Version 7
May 28, 2026, 09:25 AM
Update pre-launch future tense to confirmed present tense for the launch school types
Jun 8, 2026, 11:07 PM
Removed duplicate in-body wikilinks
11School is an occupation in Paralives available only to certain Parafolk depending on their life stage. It functions as the primary daytime activity for younger characters, similar to how careers work for adults. Child, Preteen, and Teenager Parafolk all can attend school during the day. The school system treats education as an occupation on the same level as adult Careers, complete with schedules, obligations, and performance tracking. School is one of the confirmed Day 1 systems in the May 25, 2026 Early Access launch.22Much of the school system is still being expanded and is likely to be enhanced during the approximately two-year Early Access window. The information below reflects what has been confirmed so far. Additional features and refinements are expected in future free updates.44School Roles66RoleLifestageSystemElementary School studentChildDaily attendance, homework, gradesElementary or High School studentPreteenDaily attendance, homework, gradesHigh School studentTeenagerDaily attendance, homework, grades; compatible-schedule employment allowedTeacherAdult / ElderEducation Careers domainChildcare WorkerAdult / ElderEducation domain; supports younger lifestages88Eligible Life Stages99Three life stages are eligible to attend school in Paralives:1111Child - Elementary School (Eli is the confirmed first child Parafolk; see his bio)Preteen - Elementary School or High SchoolTeenager - High School1414Younger life stages such as Baby and Toddler do not attend school. Young Adult, Adult, and Elder Parafolk have aged out of the school system and pursue careers instead. The full ladder of life stages is documented in Lifestages. The first child Parafolk revealed, Eli, is the canonical example of a school-attending Parafolk and a key part of Sebastian's household.1616School Types1818Two types of schools are available at the Early Access launch:2020Elementary School: serves younger students, primarily Children and potentially PreteensHigh School: serves older students, primarily Teenagers and potentially Preteens2222Currently, all schools in Paralives are public schools. Private schools have been mentioned as a possibility for later updates but are not included at launch. Schools currently function as rabbit holes, meaning students leave the lot and the gameplay occurs offscreen. Players cannot follow their Parafolk into the school building or interact with the school environment directly. The studio has indicated interest in eventually creating fully interactive school lots, but the rabbit-hole approach is the initial implementation. This matches the broader Day 1 carveout that all workplaces at launch are rabbit-hole shifts.2424Academic Obligations2626Attendance2828Parafolk must arrive at school on time in the morning. The school day follows a set schedule, and students are expected to be there when it starts. Missing school or arriving late may have consequences. Households can route school commutes through the PL130 Bus Stops line for 3 paradimes per ride if walking is impractical.3030Grades3232Students must maintain good, or at least decent, grades. The grading system follows the A/B/C/D/F model familiar from real-world education:3434GradePerformance LevelAExcellentBGoodCAverageDBelow averageFFailing3737The specific consequences for failing grades or consistently poor academic performance have yet to be fully revealed by the studio. Mood and Vibes affect daily performance the same way they affect adult career performance.3838Homework4040Students are required to complete homework assignments. For the launch build, all life stages will receive the same type of homework regardless of whether they attend Elementary or High School. The studio has noted that this is subject to change, with the possibility that different school levels will eventually have distinct homework requirements and difficulty levels.4242Teenage Employment4444Among under-age Parafolk, only Teenagers can hold a job at the same time as attending school. These are not traditional part-time jobs with reduced hours; they are full occupations whose schedules happen to be compatible with school hours. The employment system uses the same career framework that adult Parafolk use; Teenagers have access to a version of the adult career system that does not conflict with their school obligations. See Careers and the Expertise System for the broader job mechanics.4646Child and Preteen Parafolk cannot work. School is their only occupation, and their schedules revolve entirely around academic obligations and free time.4848Health and Sickness5050Parafolk who attend school can sometimes catch a virus there and come home sick. This adds a realistic element to the school experience: students in close proximity to one another are naturally more susceptible to illness. The same mechanic applies to workplaces for adult Parafolk. When a student comes home sick, the player will need to manage their recovery, which may interfere with subsequent school attendance and homework completion.5252School as an Occupation5454In Paralives, school is treated as an occupation on the same level as careers. This means it occupies a dedicated slot in the Parafolk's schedule and is tracked by the same systems that manage adult employment. A Parafolk cannot attend school and hold an incompatible job simultaneously (with the exception of Teenagers in compatible-schedule positions).5656The launch build treats school attendance, grade maintenance, and homework as the student's primary responsibilities, paralleling how adult Parafolk must manage their career performance, work schedule, and professional obligations. Performance during the school day is influenced by mood, social connections, and skill progress in the same way adult career performance is influenced. See Skills and Knowledge for how learning rolls up alongside school attendance.5959Connection to the Education Career Domain6161The Education Careers domain anchors several adult jobs that operate at schools, including Teacher and Childcare Worker. These positions provide the adult side of the school ecosystem; a Teacher Parafolk works at the same kind of school that Child and Teen Parafolk attend. The launch build's named school venues serve dual roles as student destinations and Education-domain workplaces, see Town Venues.6363Day 1 Status and Future Development6565School is confirmed Day 1. Attendance, grades, homework, teen-employment compatibility, the rabbit-hole carveout, and the Education career-domain link are all part of the launch build. The school system is expected to receive significant updates during Early Access and beyond. Potential areas of expansion include:6767Differentiated homework for each school levelPrivate schools as an alternative to public educationFully interactive school lots that replace the current rabbit-hole systemExpanded consequences for poor academic performanceAdditional school types or educational paths (vocational, after-school programs)Specialized teacher roles and named school venues with deeper interior interactions6969As Paralives Studio continues to develop the game during Early Access, the school system will likely become more detailed and feature-rich, offering players greater depth in managing the educational lives of their younger Parafolk.7171Out of Scope7373Specific homework completion mechanics, the exact in-game day timing for school start and end, and the named individual schools inside the launch town have not been publicly enumerated. Whether the launch build supports any field trips, school events, or after-school programs has not been confirmed. Players should expect documentation to firm up during the Early Access window.
