Re - School year system in the UK/Gluttony

[Donna]

No: HPFGUIDX 128832

In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Rebecca Stephens 
<rsteph1981 at y...> wrote:
(Snip)> Kindergarteners had recess alone.  First and second
> together, third and fourth, and fifth and sixth, were
> paired.  7-12 all had recess together at the same time. 

> So, what you're suggesesting seems odd to me.  I can sort of get 
the separate common rooms (or at least two common rooms, one for 
older, one for younger) but beyond that it just seems strange.


Tonks:
Well I didn't realize that there was so much variety is the US. I 
went to school back in the dark ages in a small town. We had 
different building for the K-6, 7-8, and 9-12. And 7-12 did not have 
recess. Can you imagine the sorts of trouble that age group could 
get into by having recess? And this was in the 50's, early 60's, 
when the worst that would happen is some older kids might sneek off 
to have a cigarette. I can't imagine it today!  Kids in what the US 
calls Jr. High (7 & 8) would pick up some very bad ideas from kids 
in 9-12. And that(Jr.High) is the age group that are most 
impressionable, so IMO they should be kept seperate. Younger than 
7th grade just need to be protected more from everyone. I can't 
imagine that there wouldn't be some serious problems with mixing all 
of these grades. Of coures, in the old days... when my parents went 
to school they had the old one room country school and everyone was 
there. But those were much different days and I think that kids were 
more mature back then.


Donna says:

I admit I'm old.  My first pet was, after all, a pterodactyl.
When I started school, kindergarden was a place for the rich 
to get rid of their little ones for half a day.  Depending on
what school district we attended (I attended 3 schools within
6 weeks once), recess was either separated by sex or enjoyed
by all grades.  Recess stopped after grade 6.  From 7 on gym 
(phys ed) was segregated by sex and separate gyms.  Lunches 
were by class and time with all eating within a certain time frame.  
Schools were K-6 (elementary), 7-9 (jr. high - now middle), and 
10-12 high.  Once in high school, there could be students from 
all three grades in an elective class. 

If I remember correctly, at Hogwarts dorms are separated by sex
and year.  The prefects and, I assume, headpersons share separate
bathrooms from the general population. But the common rooms are
just that, common rooms within each house shared by all ages and
grades.  Required classes are set up by year with elective classes starting
in year 3.

As far as eating goes, I see nothing wrong with "healthy" eating
as demonstrated at Hogwarts.  The students must walk and/or climb
many stair cases to get to class.  HHR always seem to be running
somewhere.  There appears to be very little, if any, eating between
meals with the only exception being special parties in the
common rooms with food "nicked" from the kitchens.  With all that
exercise between classes, I can't see any of the students over
eating, just eating healthy for healthy bodies.