Choice of James as Head Boy (was Re: James, a paragon of virtue?)

[ladyramkin2001]

No: HPFGUIDX 123654


I want to challenge Neri's assumption that in RL British schools, the 
Head Boy or Girl is chosen mainly on the basis of academic 
excellence.In my old school, and in most of the schools I have taught 
in, this choice was based on character.  Naturally, they would not 
chose someone completely dumb, but character was the clincher. I knew 
several highly academic youngsters who were passed over in favour of 
people the headmaster considered more mature or grounded.  Dumbledore 
may have considered James had a potential for leadership that 
qualified him for the position.  As to Snape, I think he was probably 
academically more brilliant than either James or Sirius, but lacked 
the qualities necessary for leadership. A loner like Severus would 
never be chosen as Head Boy in a British school if he had a brain 
like Einstein.

Sylvia (who never made it as Head Girl either)