A Hogwarts Education: Well Rounded or Not?
There is much we don't know about Wizarding education.
How do younger Wizards and Witches get educated in basic skills like reading and writing?
We see very little of this in the books, although obviously the kids coming into Hogwarts have been trained in some of these basic skills or they wouldn't be able to handle the classes they face at Hogwarts. Given the very medieval nature of the Wizarding World, I suggest that most kids are trained either by their parents in basic reading, writing, and math, or are trained in small one-room schools with a relatively few children and one teacher. This training would cover the basics and enough pre-magic theory to produce kids who can function in the Wizarding society.
Do all children in the Wizarding World go to Hogwarts? Are there other, less prestigious schools in Britain?
JKR says that Hogwarts is the only Wizarding school in Britain for kids eleven and up. Perhaps that means that kids who don't qualify for Hogwarts, people like Stan Shunpike for example, move immediately into trades where they become apprentices. They then learn the magic necessary for their station in life and that's about it. If that doesn't sound fair, remember that if they had more magical ability than that, they'd have been invited to come to Hogwarts. This fits in with a medieval-style culture, although it seems limiting to us.
When do Hogwarts students learn the rest of what we consider to be essential parts of any curriculum, things like geography, literature, or foreign languages?
We do know of quite a few classes Hogwarts does offer, and these courses do cover a lot of what we would call a well-rounded education. Neil Ward on HP4GU gives us this list of classes and what traditional subject areas they cover:
Herbology = Botany/Gardening
Care of Magical Creatures = Zoology/Veterinary Science
Arithmancy = Arithmetic/Mathematics
Potions = Chemistry/Cookery/Pharmacology
Astronomy = (Astro)physics/Mathematics/Geography (of the Heavens)
Charms = Latin/Drama/Kinetics
DADA = Physical Education/Chemistry/Physics
Divination = Mathematics/Psychology/Philosophy/Lunacy
Ancient Runes = History/Logic/Mathematics/Linguistics
Transfiguration = Physics/Biology (bioenergetics)/Physical Education
History of Magic = History/Tolerance (of boredom)
Quidditch = Physical Education/Driving Lessons [US: Driver's Ed]
Muggle Studies = History/Sociology/Technology etc.
Most of these subjects would include use of English Language in the writing of essays, but there are a few topics that don't seem to be covered much at all: Terrestrial Geography (it's no wonder that no one knows where anything is located), Modern Languages, English Lit, Art, Music and Sex Education spring to mind. Overall, the curriculum seems very science-heavy and could do with an injection from the creative arts. For example, I'd love to see the Sorting Hat coaching the Hogwarts' School Choir – that would have so much comic potential.
I've often wondered about the primary years too. Obviously, those who grew up in muggle families, like Harry and Hermione, went to muggles schools, but what about kids who grew up in wizard families like Ron and Draco?
Well, if they go to muggles schools, they should know more about muggles than they do. Ron was obviously homeschooled, considering he'd never used a telephone before.
i definetly think most of them were homeschooled when it comes to familys like rons, also well they have taxes in briton im sure but then again im not really familiar with how things work there.. but if their taxes cover things like public schools like they do here, how would people like the weaslys pay? they dont have muggle money, and as it said in one of the books, even when they do have it their awful with it so we know they dont use it a lot.
oh also i think hogwarts should have an art class, cuz it would be really cool to learn how they make the people in their paintings move. then again they might have one and just havent mentioned it, i mean there are hundreds of portraits in hogwarts ever wonder where they ALL came from?
hm i dont know where else to post this but here, does any one think that maybe tonks will be the next dada teacher? I mean, she was introduced but didnt really seem to have a purpose.. You know she was kind of just there.. and well seeing as she is clutzy jkr could easily have her get hurt at the end of the 6th book and just have her not come back. Plus with voldemort back it wouldnt hurt to have an auror around.
I was thinking about all of this the other day, especially Sex Ed. Where the hell do they learn it all? While its fun to try and make excuses for its absence, we have to accept that the reason is that children are included in the target audience for these books, and JK turning a blind eye to these issues will stop alot of parents complaining. After all, Rowling has already been branded a satanist by millions of ignorant parents. The question of pre-Hogwarts education for wizarding familes is certainly an interesting one though. I'd have to go with home tutoring, as it fits with the old-fashioned state of mind that the wizarding world seems to exist in.
I don't know, picture Snape with his sneer and drawl. "Today we are going to talk about human reproduction, something not all of you will be able to do" sneers at students like Neville.
I really want to know where the art and music classes are. Are they electives that Harry, Ron, and Hermione just haven't chosen to take, or are they extra curricular, like Quidditch?
I think that they are all celibate, but they would understand how it works.
It appears that most wizards do not have large families. I would say that in general they reproduce rather slowly, so perhaps their hormones do not rage as much as muggles.
Of course, they may just learn it on their own too. I mean, what were Ron and Hermione doing alone in the bedroom at 12 Grimmauld Place before Harry arrived? Lets see! Take two 15 year old of the opposite sex, add 4 years of close friendship and major romantic chemistry, plus a little bit of jealousy, combined with a bit of privacy. What do you get? Hmmmmm!
I know when I was 15 my mother would never had allowed me to be in a bedroom with any my guyfriends, but especially not someone as close as what Ron and Hermione were.
Heather, with Fred and George apparating in all the time, I don't think Mrs. Weasley was too worried. Besides, I can hear Hermione now "ron, you are kissing me wrong!".
fuscia said this in post #28 : Heather, with Fred and George apparating in all the time, I don't think Mrs. Weasley was too worried. Besides, I can hear Hermione now "ron, you are kissing me wrong!".
Oh god... That's such a funny thought. Even romantically, she will have to have the upper hand, in telling Ron he's doing SOMETHING wrong.
