[HPforGrownups] O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s/ Lupin's lesson plan

[Edblanning at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 34571

In a message dated 02/02/02 22:06:42 GMT Standard Time, 
wilke013 at gold.tc.umn.edu writes:


> As an American (well out of high school!) I was curious if anyone familiar 
> with education in Britain could 
> tell me if there are anything similar to these delightfully named tests 
> taken by Hogwarts students in the 
> British system?  In other words, standarized tests taken around age 15 as 
> well as in the last school 
> year?  
> 
> Also what are the twelve possible O.W.L.s one can achieve?  (I'm assuming 
> twelve is maximum based on 
> quotes relating to Percy and Barty Crouch, etal.)  Are passing these tests 
> necessary to graduation and if 
> so, does passing at least one O.W.L. count?
> 
> JRW (who is terribly obsessive-compulsive about tests and likes to know 
> exactly where she stands on 
> them!)
> 

This something I still have to face with my kids and things have been 
changing recently, so someone else please correct me if I'm wrong.
Until recently, in England, you sat GCSEs ( General Certificate of Secondary 
Education) at about 16, in the fifth year and A (Advanced) levels  at 18, in 
the final year of school. (The Scottish system was always a bit different, 
with Highers, which allowed matriculation to Scottish University, the year 
after GCSEs, (if that's what they call them, I'm afraid I pre-date GCSEs, it 
was O levels and SCEs [the Scottish equivalent] in my day).
Now we have a slightly more complicated system. The GCSEs are the same, but 
children are encouraged to keep a wider range of subjects the next year ( 
similar to the Scottish system), getting some sort of half A levels, some of 
which they go on with in their final year to achieve full A levels.
We don't 'graduate' from school the same way as in the US (if I understand 
your system that is - I barely understand ours these days). In my parents' 
day, you used to get a School Leaving Certificate, showing that you had 
matriculated in the required number of subjects. These days, you just have 
the public exam certificates. Employers or educational institutions will 
specify their own requirements. When I applied to (English) university the 
first time round  IIRC it was required that you had something like five or 
seven subjects, including maths and English, with at least two of these at A 
level, although in reality most universities would require more than that. 
When as a graduate, I applied for nurse training, the General Nursing 
Council, as it was then, required 5 O levels. I vividly remember phoning a 
well known hospital to ask for an application form and telling them I was a 
graduate: 'And how many O levels do you have?'  'I'm a gradaute, and I've 
four A levels.' ' Yes, but how many O levels do you have?'

I do find the system at Hogwarts intriguing. How can you get 12 O.W.Ls? 
Hermione wasn't doing that many subects and her timetable was literally 
impossible.
And no, you wouldn't 'graduate' with one O.W.L. as (as indicated above) , 
this isn't a meaningful concept in the British system.
Another strange element is the fact that they start with so few subjects and 
then add more, whereas we tend to start with a lot and drop some in order to 
concentrate on examination subjects. I think I started at secondary school 
with at least thirteen subjects, taking 9 at O level, but having to carry on 
with games and IIRC non-academic music and art. Taking up extra subjects 
would have meant dropping somthing else ( until the sixth from, when it was 
possible to start an A level course in a new subject). Mine was a small 
school, I dare say others had more flexibility and ther are certainly some 
round here that offer an enormous range of subjects ( these tend to be 
private)
I haven't followed the posts about timetabling at Hogwarts closely ( I didn't 
think I could cope!), but I assume they must have a *lot* of lessons on the  
core subjects in the early years, otherwise they'd end up with a lot of free 
periods, something more appropriate to older students.

In a message dated 02/02/02 15:30:16 GMT Standard Time, muridae at muridae.co.uk 
writes:


> moongirlk wrote:
> 
> >--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "pippin_999" <foxmoth at q...> wrote:
> >> He doesn't leave a lesson plan for his sub though he knows he'll be
> >> absent.
> >
> >Drat again, can't justify this one except as a plot device to get
> >werewolves on the agenda.
> 
> On the other hand... maybe he didn't anticipate not being able to teach 
> those lessons himself? There's no mention of him being ill or away 
> during termtime other than this once, plus the absence from Christmas 
> dinner. 

I wonder whether it is normal for teachers to substitute for one another? 
At the end of GoF, there were no DADA lessons, the trio had those periods 
free.
I feel sure that it was Snape's initiative to take that lesson, something 
that Lupin might have anticipated, sure ( simply from the malice of the man), 
but not something he *should* have. 
I wonder if Snape keeps meticulous records of his lessons? Probably, he's 
that sort of guy. But I doubt that Dumbledore ever asks for them, or anyone 
else for that matter. The whole running of the school is pretty 
idiosyncratic, isn't it? Can't see them passing an Offsted inspection!

Eloise


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