[HPforGrownups] HP and the democratic equilibrium(Re: Umbridge, brooms and DEs)

[Shaun Hately]

No: HPFGUIDX 87159

On 15 Dec 2003 at 17:23, Derek Hiemforth wrote:

> Derek:
> (Shakes head)  I'll bow to your superior experience.  I guess I'm
> just profoundly grateful that I didn't experience it.  It just
> boggles my mind that an institution could be set up in such a way
> that it was ruled by the arbitrary whimsy of one person, who had
> absolutely no obligation to show that their actions followed any
> kind of agreed-upon rule.  :-/

*Technically* speaking there probably is someone above the Head - 
the School Governors - but even their powers are fairly limited and 
it would generally take something pretty serious for them to get 
involved.

We don't know who these are by Order of the Phoenix - but given 
that people like Lucius Malfoy have held positions in the past, I 
wouldn't have high hopes.

The Ministry of Education in Britain does send Inspectors into 
schools to check they meet basic standards - and I suppose the 
Ministry of Magic has that power with regards to Hogwarts as well - 
indeed we know they do... because that's what Umbridge was 
originally there for.

So there are *some* controls - the thing is, the circumstances we 
see of OotP... well, I doubt they are effective.

The ultimate control is that parents can remove their children and 
send them elsewhere - but again, we have a problem. Hogwarts 
apparently being the only wizarding school in Britain reduces that 
option.


Yours Without Wax, Dreadnought
Shaun Hately | www.alphalink.com.au/~drednort/thelab.html
(ISTJ)       | drednort at alphalink.com.au | ICQ: 6898200 
"You know the very powerful and the very stupid have one
thing in common. They don't alter their views to fit the 
facts. They alter the facts to fit the views. Which can be 
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