Education

[Milz]

No: HPFGUIDX 44754

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "cockneyrebe1" <bobbins29 at h...> wrote:
> Apologies if this has been brought up numerous times in the past, 
> this is my first post on here :)
> 
> With the exception of muggle-born wizards, it seems that members of 
> the magical community receive no education before joining 
Hogwarts.  
> I believe J. K. Rowling has said in an interview (I don't know the 
> link) that wizard primary schools and universities don't exist.  If 
> this is true, then:
> 
> - Just what do child wizards do with their time pre-Hogwarts?
> 
> Perhaps they are taught at home by a private tutor, but presumably 
> this would be costly.  If no free education exists, then what of 
the 
> Weasleys, who surely couldn't afford to pay a teacher?  Mrs. 
Weasley 
> is a housewife, but how could she make the time to teach her seven 
> children?  
> If they did in fact receive no education, how come they're not, 
well, 
> a bit dim?
> 

My assumption is that they receive some sort of informal education 
and learn the "basics" of reading, writing and arithmetic. In terms 
of things like natural science and history, I think they receive the 
instruction on that as well. True they do teach a History class at 
Hogwarts, but like in the real world, I think there are some 
historical basics that are learned outside of the classroom.

It's like that Mark Twain quote: "I never let schooling interfere 
with my education".
 
> Literacy and numeracy are generally considered the foundations of 
> intelligence in the muggle world, so why do wizards not hold the 
same 
> view?
> In PS, Hermione tells Harry that most wizards don't have an ounce 
of 
> logic.  Later, in PoA, we learn she is taking arithmancy, but Ron 
and 
> Harry are not.  Mathematics, it seems, is optional at Hogwarts.  
Why 
> is it not considered important?

Arithmancy is a type of divination using mathematics. Harry and Ron 
also take a divination class: Trelawney's.

In terms of logic, there are some very real world people who don't 
appear to contain half an ounce ;-) But it also reminds me of a 
passage in "Lion, Witch and Wardrobe" where the Professor is 
incredulous that the children can't logically problem solve and 
wonders if they still teach logic in schools. 

> Perhaps, since magic *is* illogical, science subjects become 
> irrelevant.  But language is surely just as important to wizards 
and 
> muggles alike?  Presumably Beaubatons and Durmstrang teach English, 
> but Hogwarts does not seem to teach foreign languages or english 
> literature.  
>

Good point. Perhaps this is Rowling's jab at Anglo-centricity?
 
> Lastly, if no universities exist in the wizard world, how did 
> Hogwarts teachers become Professors?  Is "professor" just a throw-
> away term in the books?  Can anyone become one?  Is Hagrid a 
> Professor? 

I think "professor" is what the teachers at Hogwarts are called and 
don't particularly refer to an advanced educational degree of any 
sort. 
 
> Do Hogwarts-leavers go straight into work, like Percy did?  
>

Charlie Weasley, according to Ron in PS/SS, went to Romania 
to "study" dragons. Whether that means Charlie was involved in some 
kind of post-Hogwarts training specializing in dragons or that means 
Charlie began working as a dragon expert is open to debate. 

I think, however, that there aren't any "formal" post-Hogwarts 
degrees/training, but rather informal apprentice/clerkships for 
further study/training in a particular field. I think the systems 
mimics the medieval trades in that regard where if one chooses one 
works begins as an apprentice works their way up to a master.

--Milz