- Nonmagical studies

[Steve Vander Ark]

No: HPFGUIDX 14643

Okay, so what skills do they need in their society to function? 
Reading and writing, surely, and a basic understanding of magic and 
how to harness its power. They will need basic math skills, enough to 
figure out Galleons and Sickles, but not trig or geometry or even 
algebra, probably. In fact, eveything they need will be practical, 
life skills kinds of things. How much of our training--even at a 
young age--is aimed at success in a career in a science/technology 
driven world? Or at least understanding the basic operation of that 
world?

They wouldn't need any of that. You don't need engineering skill to 
create a Knights Bus, for example. It doesn't work by science or 
engineering. Things don't get repaired in the same way (grab a mess 
of tools and climb under the bus) unless you're someone like Arthur 
Weasley, and he learned those kinds of skills because it's his hobby 
and people think he's weird because of it. Social skills are 
important, obviously, but there are ways to get those aside from 
formal schooling. 

As for literature and history, well, there is a lot of that passed 
down in books and traditions, it seems. I would expect that a certain 
level of awareness of the history of the society would be considered 
important. 

So what do Wizarding kids need to know? What are the basic 
educational requirements for THEIR society? And how could they get 
those skills? Homeschooling, certainly; small schools would be 
workable. It wouldn't involved years and years of 9-months-per-year 
training. And when you look at the distances between families in 
places like Ottery St. Catchpole, that might be the only option.

Steve Vander Ark
The Harry Potter Lexicon
http://www.i2k.com/~svderark/lexicon