Elementary Education for Wizarding Children

[bboy_mn]

No: HPFGUIDX 42728

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "supermouse35" <supermouse35 at y...> wrote:

GINA Said:

> Hello all!  I'm new to the list and have been enjoying it 
> immensely.  :-)  
> 
> I was wondering if anyone has any theories as to how children 
> in the wizarding world are educated before they attend Hogwarts.

> Since Hogwarts seems to be the equivalent of the American junior
> high/high school, you'd think they would have to have some kind 
> of elementary school system in place, as well.  But they don't 
> seem to, as Hogwarts appears to beginning of the educational 
> process for all magical children in the UK.  The existence of a
> magical elementary school system would also put children from 
> Muggle families at a distinct disadvantage when they begin 
> Hogwarts as they would not have access to it. 
> 
> So do these kids just sit around until they are 11 and then get 
> only 7 years of formalized education?  
> 
> Gina

Bboy_mn replies:
This is certainly a mystery. I guess the truest answer is we don't know.

I assmume that some magic kids do go to muggle elementary schools.
Since there is only one all magic village in Britain, Hogsmead, that
would imply that most wizards live amoung, although somewhat separated
from, the muggles.

For the remainder, I have visions of the one room school house. Small
private very local neighborhood schools run by some strict but fair
reasonably educated witch or wizard. These people are educated in the
basics of reading, writing, and arithmatic, with possible some
wizard's history thrown in. Let's not forget home schooling. 

While the Weasley's live in a muggle town, they obviously didn't go to
a muggle school. There are just too many things about muggle life that
they don't understand for that to have happened. 

Still all these non-public wizard schools, would seem to leave these
kids with a very limited education. 

At one point Hagrid is commenting about the Dursley not having told
Harry anything about himself. 

Hagrid said: "Do yo mean ter tell me, ... that this boy..... this boy!
......knows nothin' abou' .... ANYTHING."

Feeling slightly offended, Harry replies: "I know some things. I can,
you know, do math and stuff."

And that is probably true, having gone to a real school, he probably
can do math and stuff. Whereas, Ron and his family may have mastered
'arithmatic', I seriously doubt that they've had much 'math'.

So in terms of functioning at Horwards, Ron's education may be
adequate, but I suspect he would be completely under educated by
normal muggle school standards. Certainly, lacking basic muggle
European history, basic science, geography, social studies, etc...

bboy_mn