In My Campaign: Kusseth Edition, Part 3

The youth gangs of Kusseth are well known, but much reviled by visitors to the nation that do not understand their purpose. Education begins at the young age of five for most children in Kusseth and is mandatory, unless parents can teach their own children a trade and are willing to circumvent the law via a special tax that is levied against them. This system of youth education extends from ages five to ten and covers the basics of mathematics, language, and various other core concepts and teachings all citizens need to know including the basics of Kusseth's systems of law and governance. It also serves the additional purpose of keeping young children off the streets or out of their parent's care for sixteen hours a day, allowing parents to continue working at their job or pursuing their trade. It also keeps the streets clear of the sort of mischief young children often engage in.

Beyond age ten one of three options exist for Kusseth youths: continue education in a non-government funded school, continue education/training with the youth's parents, or join a youth gang. For most families in Kusseth, higher education is out of the question, relegated to the wealthiest upper 15% of population. The majority, some 60% of youths between the ages of ten and eighteen continue their education or trade skill training with some member of their family. The last 25% of the youth population are the ones that join one of the many youth gangs of the cities of Kusseth.

Youth gang is a generalized term for any group of children between the ages of ten and eighteen, but may also include youths up to the age of twenty-one. These gangs may be found in the service of patrons ranging from bards to wardens and every trade school or workshop has a herd of these children nearby waiting to be of use, and be paid for their services in some cases. In other instances they are merely a collection of smaller thugs and brigands. Those in the service of workshops and trade school fulfill the need for cheap, unskilled labor that is readily available when needed. It also serves as an introduction to various trades for the children that are members of the gangs and longstanding service to a particular sect of Kusseth society often leads to future employment or education in that field for the youth. The youth gangs also serve as a last resort resource to be called upon in times of war when supplies of conscripted prisoners have been exhausted.