Actually I imagine the only plump helmet men who are trying to become necromancers are ones who have already civilized and therefore do have government and scholars (they can become nobles just fine).
The ability to become scholars is quite independent of the necromancer function (unless that was changed?). Governments are also nothing to do with it, it is historical characters (which tends to overlap with the government/ruling elite where there are governments) that become necromancers according to their desire for immortal life.
The curious thing is that while kobold's, being mortal would qualify to poll immortal life desires in the event engine, I have yet to see a kobold necromancer even though other subterranean entities, even ones that are merely layer-linked produce plenty of necromancers. The reason I think is that the necromancy process works in stages like this.
1. Random individual gets desire for immortal life.
2. Individual starts worshipping death-related god.
3. Death-related god bestows a slab upon individual which contains the secret of life and death.
4. Individual builds necromancer tower and writes books transmitting the secret of life and death.
5. Other individuals who seek immortal life read the books becoming necromancers themselves or become necromancers through apprentices.
In order for necromancy to arise in an entity it must have a death god to worship, no death god no necromancy. Once necromancy has been transmitted to mortals, no further religious interaction is required in order to pass in on. Due to the atheism kobolds are unable to have death gods hence there is no way for immortality seeking kobolds to get the secrets of life and death. Since they cannot communicate with other races due to the
[UTTERANCES] tag they cannot become necromancers by apprenticeship, which leads the question of whether kobolds can theoretically become necromancers by reading a stolen necromancer book or whether
[UTTERANCES] also prevents a creature from reading as well.