Wizarding Education/British School

[Sarah]

--- InIn HPFGU-OTChatter at yahoogroups.com, "Shaun Hately" 
<drednort at a...>
> > wrote:
> > 
> > > I confess to being just slightly annoyed with HPFGU at the 
moment - 
> > > I sent a very large post, which I put a lot of research into, 
to 
> > > the main list last week, and received virtually no comments 
about 
> > > it at all. 

Aren't we all just getting a bit too analytical and delving far 
deeper than JKR would ever have intended?  To me, although the 
institution of Hogwarts is obviously important, and part of the 
story, I think JKR would just want us to accept it at face value.  
Maybe that is easier for me to do since I am British, went through 
the British education system, I'm assuming as JKR did.
To me Hogwarts works as a secondary school and thats that.  I took an 
eleven plus at my last year of primary school and the result of that 
determined whether I went to a secondary modern school (if I didn't 
make the grade) or an all girls grammar school.  As Harry never took 
any kind of exam (that we or he are aware of) there is obviously a 
different selection process - I think just being a potential wizard 
is enough.
On receiving my letter telling me "Congratulations, I had been 
selected to attend Boston High School for girls" I was as thrilled as 
Harry.  During the summer holidays my mum and I went to town and 
bought uniforms, stationery, hockey boots etc etc (Harry and Hagrid 
in Diagon Alley)
I waited at the bus stop with my best friend from primary school and 
we were off on a big adventure, no longer pupils at the small village 
school, but part of the big wide world going to school in the town 
(Hogwarts Express)
There were 100 new first years from the town and surrounding area, 
split into 4 forms - 1H, 1B, 1X and 1S, and you stayed with that 
letter throughout school (1H, 2H, 3H, 4H etc). - sorting
We all stayed at school until the end of the 5th year when we took 
our O levels (ordinary levels) (OWLS).  You could then leave school 
at 16, or stay on the the lower and upper 6th to complete your A 
levels (advanced level)(NEWTS), by which time you're 18 and can go 
off to university...
So you see, everything JKR has written about school I can quite 
easily relate to it without having to analyse it so much.  I think 
JKR is about the same age as me so probably had a very similar 
experience.
I think of myself learning how to play hockey when I had never heard 
of it before (Quidditch)
My mum and Dad giving me tips on Physics and Chemistry because I'd 
never done that before (potions)
Being in awe of prefects who seemd so old and mature (17 compared to 
me, 11), and the head girl who was so important she was bound to be 
prime minister or something...
So stop analysing - this is all normal
I've had my say now, thank you for reading this far
Sarah xx