Curriculum

[Kelly Grosskreutz]

No: HPFGUIDX 56738

I've been enjoying (and slightly participating in) the posts about
curriculum at Hogwarts, and have seen people wonder how much of the
curriculum is preestablished for the teachers.  Here's a line from GoF that
keep coming to my mind.

"Now, according to the Ministry of Magic, I'm supposed to teach you
countercurses and leave it at that.  I'm not supposed to show you what
illegal Dark curses look like until you're in the sixth year.  You're not
supposed to be old enough to deal with it till then.  But Professor
Dumbledore's got a higher opinion of your nerves, he reckons you can cope,
and I say, the sooner you know what you're up against, the better."  (Moody,
GoF, chpt. 14, p. 211-212 US hardcover)

If you take this quote at face value, it would appear that the MoM has some
guidelines for what should be taught in each class to each year.  In this
example, fourth years learn countercurses, sixth years learn more about the
Dark curses, and from what I've heard about seventh years, they would seem
to do even more research on the Dark Arts (being allowed into the Restricted
Section).  I would assume every class has some sort of guidelines they are
supposed to follow as dictated by the MoM, who would most likely have a
Department of Magical Education in charge of determining what students
should learn and when.

However, before anyone starts going on about Hogwarts seeming to do what it
wants to do, here's another quote from GoF, which we've seen a few times
before.

"Now see here, Dumbledore," he said, waving a threatening finger.  "I've
given you free rein, always.  I've had a lot of respect for you.  I might
not have agreed with some of your decisions, but I've kept quiet.  There
aren't many who'd have let you hire werewolves, or keep Hagrid, or decide
what to teach your students without reference to the Ministry."  (Fudge,
GoF, chpt. 36, p. 709 US hardcover)

The MoM has a curriculum for use in the schools under its influence.  This
would be for each class (DADA, Potions, Transfiguration, whatever).  To some
extent, this curriculum is being followed.  I don't see anything to make me
think Snape or McGonagall, for instance, are teaching outside of the
guidelines, and as obssessed about rules as they seem to be, they probably
wouldn't unless DD himself told them to introduce something not in the
curriculum.  Trelawney, for her incompetence, seems to have a set year-long
lesson plan of the subjects she plans to cover in her class.  Mainly, the
major deviations from what is probably established curricula would be in
CoMC, where Hagrid seems to teach whatever he wants, and DADA, where I have
no clue what Lockhart was hired to teach.  And, of course, the
aforementioned Moody bit.  Personally, I've always wondered whether
Moody/Crouch Jr. can be believed on this one.  I mean, I can see DD, having
reason to believe we might be seeing V come back within the next couple of
years, wanting fourth year students (keeping in mind Harry and his friends
are in this class) knowing what they're going to be seeing/facing, but I can
also see Crouch Jr. making that bit about DD's approval up for his own
agenda.  Maybe he thought Harry would be terrified at seeing AK performed.
Then again, if he was doing it for his own reasons, then why teach them all
how to throw off the Imperius Curse?

Anyway, point being, there is a set curriculum for education laid down by
the MoM, but DD doesn't always choose to follow it.  I'm curious at how this
will play out in OoP since Fudge threatened to look closer into this.

Kelly Grosskreutz
http://www.idcnet.com/~ivanova/