Hi, like I stated in another response, the school feature is already on the to-do-list to receive big changes in the next update. Reducing grind aspects and time pressure is a big focus there, as well as some changes to literature.
About gems, they were always intended to be a slow side feature, since the game is intended to be played over a long time. I get that it can be frustrating for new players to see all these upgrades locked behind a big timegate, especially when you don't have a +250% achievement boost. But I'd like to wait a bit more until players are able to afford a few big upgrades and start planning around which upgrade to buy next