Chapter 71: Retirement Homes, Orphanages, and Technical Schools
"Our per capita income still lags far behind that of European nations. Closing that gap will be a long process, but we must always prioritize the interests of all our people. To benefit Australians is to benefit Australia. Every policy implemented by the government must be thoroughly enforced, and we must do everything possible to ensure that every Australian enjoys the benefits of our programs," Arthur said with a serious nod.
Prime Minister Evan nodded and responded, "Regarding welfare policies, as per Your Highness's instructions, we have constructed a number of retirement homes and orphanages in each state as needed. A total of thirteen retirement homes have been completed, currently housing more than 2,000 elderly people who are unable to live independently. As for orphanages, we've built one in each state, currently accommodating over 1,000 orphans. The government's next step is to continue building more retirement homes and orphanages to support more elderly and children in need."
If the massive construction projects brought job opportunities and prosperity to Australia's adult population, then retirement homes and orphanages served as lifelines for the elderly and children who couldn't support themselves.
Given current limitations, retirement homes primarily accepted elderly citizens without children, low-income seniors, and those unable to care for themselves.
Regardless, these facilities had effectively improved the lives of many impoverished citizens and ensured the survival of many elderly and young people.
Arthur's widespread popularity and the public's loyalty to him were due in no small part to such welfare policies and tax cuts.
For the common people, a monarch's greatness and worthiness of respect depended on whether he cared for and protected his subjects.
And in that respect, Arthur had clearly succeeded. Since arriving in Australia, he had issued a series of welfare reforms and slashed taxes by more than half.
If Australians still didn't revere a monarch so attentive to their well-being, then there truly would be something wrong.
"The government has done well in this regard, Prime Minister Evan. As long as there are lonely elderly and orphaned children in Australia, the operation of retirement homes and orphanages must continue. I can accept a slow but steady plan, but I will not accept inaction or lack of progress. I hope to see more such facilities established this year, so Australians know their government truly cares about them," Arthur said warmly.
These institutions didn't cost much to build or run but were highly effective at winning public support.
A small retirement home or orphanage could house around 100 people and would cost less than £2,000 per year to operate.
In an era where basic human rights protections were minimal and 12-hour workdays were still secretly enforced across Europe, concern for abandoned seniors and orphans was rare.
Simply providing them with three meals a day and basic necessities could earn tremendous goodwill—so why not do it?
"Yes, Your Highness," Prime Minister Evan replied.
It was a simple task, but one that could yield immense political capital for the monarchy and the government. Evan didn't hesitate to accept it.
"What about education and healthcare? What progress have we made with our schools and hospitals?" Arthur asked.
In terms of social welfare, education and healthcare were just as important to Arthur as general welfare policies.
"Your Highness, as per your directive, the Ministry of Education completed the construction of 107 primary schools, 11 secondary schools, and the National University last year. We've enrolled more than 12,300 students so far, and we expect to enroll even more this year," Minister of Education Richard stood and reported.
Arthur had previously instructed Minister Richard during a cabinet meeting to build 100 primary schools. He was pleased to see that the target had been met—and surpassed.
"How's the university doing? Are our precious college students doing well?" Arthur asked with a smile.
While primary education was fairly basic and less prone to error, higher education was another matter. Those few hundred university students were Australia's future backbone—Arthur would be deeply concerned if anything went wrong.
"They're doing very well, Your Highness. The university employs a half-theory, half-practical model, and the students have grasped their studies quite well. Their academic progress is smooth and well-structured," Richard replied with a smile.
The hands-on component of university education was a necessity.
Australia urgently needed skilled technical workers for industry and infrastructure, but lacked trained personnel.
This led to some university students becoming temporary field workers, spending entire days assisting other departments.
Yet this arrangement had its merits. The practical experience reinforced their academic knowledge and improved learning outcomes.
Though physically demanding, it significantly boosted their learning efficiency and even helped solve some basic technical problems in various departments.
"Make sure the university students receive adequate nutrition. They will become the backbone of our country. Also, to address our shortage of technical workers, I believe it's essential to establish a technical school. In addition to attracting skilled immigrant labor, we need to recruit ordinary workers and provide them with short-term training so they can acquire specialized skills and move into more advanced roles. The Ministry of Education can begin planning this initiative now. We can hire instructors from Europe, and our current skilled workers can serve as temporary teachers. The school's focus will be on technical ability, and its goal will be to train more skilled workers and professionals for Australia," Arthur said, looking toward Minister Richard.
University education had been progressing smoothly, but those students would eventually become Australia's scientific and managerial elite—they wouldn't be doing low-level jobs.
That meant the shortage of technical labor in Australia still hadn't been resolved.
Therefore, establishing a technical school focused solely on producing skilled labor was necessary. Arthur didn't expect these trainees to be scholars—only to gain enough knowledge and ability to become competent or even outstanding workers. That alone would meet his expectations.
(End of Chapter)
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