[HPforGrownups] Re: Elective Classes

[Catherine Keegan]

No: HPFGUIDX 25818

At 11:29 PM 9/8/01 +0000, you wrote:
>The RL equivalent to OWLs in the UK are GCSEs [two year course with
>big exams at 16].  It's not unusual to take an odd number of these;
>in the UK, your qualifications are subject specific, rather than a
>general ability 'score', like a GPA.

Thank you for explaining this!  There are times that being an American 
reading the books has its drawbacks.

The whole boarding school concept is weird to me.  I find myself wondering 
if Hogwarts has "Parents Days" where the folks come to check things 
out.   I keep wondering when Homecoming is.  Do parents ever come 
out?  Molly shows up in GoF and, of course, Lucius shows up to cause 
trouble but that's as a governor.

>If the figures in canon add up to 9, there's no
>real reason to 'round this up' to 10; any free time in their schedule
>could easily be filled with Prep lessons/'Free' periods [ie free time
>set aside for homework/smoking behind the bikesheds ;)] which is not
>unusual for 14 - 16 y.o in UK schools.

Since the books have several scenes where they're studying during the day, 
the prep periods makes perfect sense.

Can't you just see Draco and his goons smoking behind the bike 
sheds?  Nah.  Me neither.  No one seems to smoke (hurrah!) - even in the 
pubs.  Traveling from California, land of the smoke-free bars and 
restaurants, and touring in the UK, it's hard to imagine that none of the 
teachers smoke nor do any of the kids.  Sound good to me!  I'll bet Madam 
Maxine has some of those nasty galouse cigarettes tucked away.

Catherine in foggy Albion, CA