[HPforGrownups] Re: Prefects paid

[James Handley]

No: HPFGUIDX 37710

On Thu, 11 Apr 2002, finwitch wrote:

[prefects]

> They represent the group in government of the student body, and if
> someone's not been at school, he or she can well call that student to
> ask about homework. So um - they're NOT prefects. They're student's
> trustees. Quite different concept, I'd say.
>
> ...
> But not having student-elected representatives, but instead a teacher-
> headmaster dictatorship with no student-voice at all! Must say I
> don't question rule-breaking in that kind of circumstances, unless it
> harms someone or something. I wonder...

The UK schooling system is very different from this.

There are no student politics in UK secondary schools (which Hogwarts
would classify as), and the students have no voice in how the school is
run. The teachers/headmaster/governors set the school rules, and part of a
prefect's job is to enforce these rules (with appropriate powers - e.g.
giving detentions or lines). Other responsibilities might include
supervising younger students at play-time/free classes, and generally
keeping an eye on things.
There was a lot of self-regulation too - the prefect's dententions were
different from 'proper' detentions, and were usually tailored to make sure
the punishment sitted the crime.
Any serious misdemeanour (like drugs or smoking) would be referred to a
teacher.

If a dignitary should visit the school, it would probably be the prefects
who help it all to go smoothly.

I think the teacher's spot students who are *generally* responsible and
sensible, who won't either abuse the authority or let things slide too
much. That said, at my school being a prefect was often a 'reward' for
academic and/or sporting prowess (although in reality it's probably to do
with choosing people who's education isn't going to suffer with the extra
responsiblities)

The head boy/girl is a kind of super-prefect, who makes sure all the
prefects are happy, and liases with the teachers over trouble-makers or
whatever, and perhaps some policy discussion?


My school also had houses and points, but these were entirely won through
inter-house competitions (both sporting and non-sporting), and never given
outside these competitions, and never taken away at all!

James.