Magical education system

[grey_wolf_c]

No: HPFGUIDX 40599

Vince wrote:
><snip public american school description>
> I wonder if the Wizarding World has something similar?  I mean, not 
> everyone can go to a private boarding school.  Maybe the Ministry of 
> Magic has a similar set-up.  Of course, it raises the question of 
> whether or not the Ministry even collects taxes.  

This has come up before. Several people have pointed out that there may 
be other schools in Britain, only not as famous, for all those who are 
not ready to pay for Hogwarts (even if they have been admited, which, 
according to canon, happens to all magical newborns)

However, the Weasleys, reportedly one of the poorest magical families, 
can afford going to Hogwarts. Maybe there are especial govermental aids 
so they can buy books or some other form of help to the studies. That 
would explain how three galleons and some pocket change in (IIRC) CoS 
allows for the entire collection of Lockharts books for five people 
(four, since they get Harry's free autographed copies). Libraries will 
accept a minimal payment for a receipt, give them books, and then get 
the money from the goverment. In my country, there are schools that are 
theoretically private, but in which families only pay a small amount, 
since they are "concerted" with the goverment (and thus, the goverment 
pays the rest of the money for them).

> While we're on the subject, what about elementary education?  There 
> doesn't seem to be much general education going on at Hogwarts, i.e. 
> reading and mathematics; it seems to be a big vocational school.  
> They must go somewhere to learn how to read and write and do math?  
> What do wizards do for education in the first ten years of their 
> lives?  Homeschooling perhaps?  Nothing wrong with homeschooling, of 
> course; I was homeschooled for the latter part of my education.  Or 
> maybe that's where public schools come in.
> 
> And what about higher education or university? Is it normal to go 
> straight from high (secondary) school to your job?  Look at Percy, in 
> the Dept. of International Magical Cooperation with no degree in law 
> or international relations or anything.  Where do wizards go to learn 
> about, say, Magizoolology, to become dragon handlers like Charlie; or 
> Education, to go on the board of school governors like Lucius Malfoy; 
> where do Aurors or hit wizards go to learn their stuff?  
> Correspondence courses?

For the elementary and higher education I have to go back to the Middle 
Ages, which is generally accepted is the age where most of the wizard 
world seems stuck, so to speak. In many ways, their social and 
economical organization is still very much like the one Europe had in 
what is generally known as "Dark Ages" (with sense, too, since it's the 
time where witches and wizards were though to exist. Since, according 
to Potterverse, they went into hiding at that time, they would have 
found no need to keep the technological pace of muggles).

In the Middle Ages there where no school as such. To my knowledge (bear 
in mind, though, that in this particular sector I'm out of my range), 
the only way to get an education was to gat a private teacher 
especifically for your sons (major noblemen) or to be educated by the 
church (minor noblemen and rich landowners/merchants). The monasteries 
would offer teaching for a fee, and they would accept kids between 
(aproximately) 10 and 15 years old. 

Before that they where considered too small to learn (they didn't know 
that the smaller the child, the easier they learn), and small children 
generally spent their time learning their parents trade and playing. 

Older children (once finished the education the church was willing to 
give them) either followed their parents trade (managing the land, or 
going into bussiness) or branched into other trades (especially if they 
weren't first-born) by buying an apprentice place with some other 
bussinessman (or joining the church). The boys with an education where 
not craved for, by any stretch, but they did have their uses: a banking 
system in its infancy needed people who knew how to add up, and armies 
always need people who know how to aim catapults, to name a few.
 
> And why does almost everybody work for the Ministry of Magic?  Is 
> there no private sector?
> 
> OK, I'm done.
> 
> Vince

There is a private sector: look at Diagon Alley, and all the 
non-ministerial shops there. You also get the shops in Hogsmeade. So 
there *is* a private sector.

Hope that helps,

Grey Wolf