Identifying with Muggles in Potterverse WAS: Re: DD at th...

[Tonks]

No: HPFGUIDX 158146

> > Linda:
> >  
> > I think that the lack of art and humanities classes in Hogwarts 
traces back to when the school was founded and not because of a lack 
of culture in the WW.  (Snip) The Founders started Hogwarts to 
create  a safe haven where they could teach young wizards and 
prepare them for the challenges they faced in the outside world.  
There are only so many hours in the day and it makes more sense to 
teach them how to make a healing potion or ward a house then to 
> > play a harp.  


> Ken:
> 
> In a thousand years nobody thought to correct the founders' 
shortsightedness? 
> That doesn't say anything good about the WW. The arguement you 
give is exactly the same one engineering students use when 
complaining about their humanities requirement. The consequences in 
the WW are exactly what they would be the real world if we did not 
make science and technology students study the humanities. 


Tonks:
First I think you are comparing apples to oranges. You are talking 
about college courses, not Jr. High and High School, which is the 
equivelent of Hogwarts. And I don't think that the founders 
were "shortsighted".

I think that Hogwarts is based on a different model of education 
than the U.S. in the 21st century.

When my father when to school prior to 1914, they taught the 3 R's. 
Reading, Writing and Arithmetic. And he knew a lot more in 8 years 
of school than most high school graduates, (and some with a BA) do 
today.

I am not saying that someone with a gift of music or art should not 
be trained. I think that much of the ways of Hogwarts is as it was 
very long ago.  Back then an artist or whatever would become an 
apprentice and learn that way. And "culture" was for the higher 
classes. They would learn that from their family or private tutors. 

I see Hogwarts as more of a trade school when children learn what 
they need to learn and not anything extra. All children are taught 
there, from all classes of WW society.  I would guess that students 
like Draco would know something of the arts and others like Ron 
would not. They would get an equal education in magic, because that 
is what Hogwarts is, a school of 'magic'.

Tonks_op
Who doesn't remember learning a lot of "culture" in her small town 
school either, which might explain why I hate classical music.