Other schools, the Lake, Dumbledore and the Truth

[bboy_mn]

No: HPFGUIDX 43717

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "doffy99" <doffy99 at y...> wrote:
> 
> I said in an earlier post:
> > Other schools, evidence for or against
> > Jeff said:
> > >Neville states: 
> > >"And you should have seen their faces when I got in here -- they 
> > >thought I might not be magic enough to come, you see. Great Uncle 
> > >Algie was so pleased he bought me my toad."
> > 
> > >The key words here are "When I got in here." If there was the 
> > >possibility that he may not get into Hogwart's then there must be 
> > >other schools.
> 
> 
> Merimom3 said:
> > I disagree.  Saying you didn't "get in" does not imply there 
> > were other places to get into.  You could say you didn't get 
> > in to a club or a college, and mean that therefore you aren't 
> > in any club or college.  It doesn't help us either way, I'm 
> > afraid.
> 

Jeff (doffy99):
> ME again. 
> 
> Objection noted. :) I disagree. 
> 
> I think everyone will agree that anyone with magical powers, 
> especially a young person with magical powers, will need training of 
> some sort. It could come from parents granted, but would you want to 
> trust someone with a weapon like Magic to be trained by an amatuer or 
> a nitwit? I wouldn't. I would want them trained to at least control 
> their magic. Think about the things Harry did before he knew he was a 
> wizard. Making the glass disappear from the Boa Constrictors cage, 
> there were others I can't think of right now. Imagine dozens, if not 
> hundreds or even thousands, of people running around, untrained or 
> trained by an amatuer or a nitwit, in Magic. They would be dangerous. 
> This could explain the low Wizard population in England though. :) 
> 
> A wizard, any wizard, needs training of some sort. If for no other 
> reason than to learn to control his/her powers. 
> 
> A lot of it is my opinion, but it is logical. 
> 
> -Jeff

bboy_mn adds:
First, regarding Merimom3 statement that 'get in' doesn't imply other
places. While Jeff can certainly speak for himself, I speculate the
the keywords in Jeff's original statement was not 'get in' but 'in
here'. To get in 'here' implies that there could also be a get in
'there', meaning some other place that can be gotten into, and thereby
implying other schools.

Schools in general- (Just some rambling thoughts)
I still like the model I proposed in another post, where the higher
education system is broken into three parts; 3 year, 5 year, and 7
years programs. Using our modern world as a reference, 3 years
training is like finishing junior high (8 yrs of school in the US) and
the minimum to get by in the modern wizard world, 5 years is the
equivalent of high school (12 yrs in the US). At the end of the fifth
year students take their OWLS. These are the first universally
recognized test that certify as students skill level in the magic
arts. This gives a student the documented qualifications he needs to
go out in the world and say here's proof that I am this good, now give
me a job. 

The seven year program which is certified by the universally
recognised NEWT tests, is the equivalent of a Bachelor of Witchly and
Wizardly Arts degree. Since Hogwarts is the only school in the UK that
offers the seven year advanced training, continuing the same analogy,
it is the only *College* of Wizardry and Witchcraft in the UK. 

So, using my model, there are other schools of magic (magician
schools) that have the 3 and 5 year programs, but only this one
(Hogwarts) college of Wizardly Arts (Wizard Schools). Only one school
offering the advanced N.E.W.T. level training.

Advancing that theory, with another question I posed, which was, 'What
do you have to do to qualify as a Professor?'. Since Rowling has said
the are no Universities of Wizardry, how does one qualify as a
Professor. My theory is that you do research and advanced study on you
own or in conjunction with a more advanced wizard, and present/publish
scholarly paper which are review by the International Confederation of
Wizards, or other national and international public and private
organizations. If these paper demonstrate productive advanced
research,  or demonstrate and acvanced knowledge of magic, you may be
granted the priviledge of calling yourself 'Dr. Harry Potter'
(Doctorate of Wizardly Arts), and if you move on to very advanced
work, you may be granted the priviledge of calling yourself 'Professor
Harry Potter' (Philosopher Ph.D. of Wizardly Arts).

That seems to be a pretty coherent and logical system of education,
and not too far from the existing UK model of education. Of all the
'other school' theories of education, I think this one makes the most
sense. While I may have been the first one to lay it out in this
format, I certainly can't take credit for it; other people have been
speculating on the same lines for ages.

Or maybe, it's just the late night musings of an insomniac.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

bboy_mn