Enrollment at Hogwarts Was: Battle/Cloak/Apparate/...

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 168498

---  "anne_t_squires" <tfaucette6387 at ...> wrote:
>
> 
> > 
> > Geoff wrote:
> > > > ... a British style public school. Most
> > > > schools of this type would (be) ... in the 500-
> > > > 800 range; just maybe up to 1000. ...
> > 
> > A.N.Other 
> > > ... I don't see any reason to think there aren't
> > > 1000 students at hogwarts.
> > 
> > Geoff:
> > True, but contrarywise there is no reason to think 
> > that there /are/ 1000 students.
> 
> ...

> Anne Squires:
> 
> ...
> 
> I teach at a high school in the United States. ...  
> We have an enrollment of 1200, .... In order to
>  accommodate this number of students we have ... 
> eighty-six teachers.  

bboyminn:

As I've said before, when I encounter a consistency
problem rather than rant and rave that it is wrong,
I assume it is right, and look for a logical 
explanation by which it could be right.

JKR said Hogwarts was a school of 1,000, yet, clearly
Hogwarts does not have 1,000 students; absolutely does
NOT have 1,000 students. So, how can we make these
contradictory statements consistent? 

The answer is the answer I already gave, the /school/
is 1,000 students, but that doesn't mean their are
1,000 students. In other words, 1,000 represents the
school capacity, and the lesser perceived but unknown 
number reflects the current enrollment. That makes JKR's
comment a consistent statement. 

On another note; JKR has already admitted that this is
never going to add up. So, rather than an absolutely
consistent explanation, we are going to have to settle
for a /relatively/ consistent explanation.


> Anne:
> ...
> 
> Class sizes vary; but ... twenty-five students per 
> class per block is average. ...And it still takes
> eighty-six people to teach the students. 

bboyminn: 

And how many subjects are being taught at the school by
those 86 teachers? Using Geoff's example of Maths and
Science, we have arithmetic, Algebra, Trigonometry, 
Geometry, Business Math & Statistics, possibly Calculus,
General Science, Chemistry, Biology, Health, Physics, 
and that list of Math and Science comes close to the 
total Hogwarts curriculum. To that we add, National
History, World History, Social Studies, Home Economics,
Applied English, English Literature, Geography, an 
assortment of shop/vocational classes, plus assorted
Arts & Music classes. I'm sure there are many I have
forgotten. 

Also, note that students at Hogwarts are not required
to take all 12 available classes. Harry and Ron have
something like (roughly) 6 classes up through 3rd year,
then take 9 classes to the end of 5th year. At NEWT 
level they are taking 5 or 6 classes again, but many
students have dropped out of those upper level classes,
so that all Houses are combined into one classroom. 

My point is that not all students are taking all classes,
and that there are far few subjects available than the
typical American or English school. 

> Anne:
>
> ...this would just be impossible from a logistical
> standpoint, IMHO, if there are 1000 students.  
>

bboyminn:

That is true IF there are 1,000 active students, but
logically there are not. 

> Anne:  
> ... But where do they all sit at meal times?  I know
> some, like Trelawny, do not always eat in The Great 
> Hall.  However, Trelawny seems to be the exception, 
> not the rule.
> 
> Anne

bboyminn:

Teachers at the head table are not an indication of 
the total number of teachers. Like I said, assume
what you see is right, then create an explanation
that makes it right.

I suspect we have both 'Day' teachers and 'Boarding'
teachers. Several teacher have room and board included
in their compensation contracts. That is why they are
seated at the Head table. Several teachers likely live
in the village or commute to school, and therefore do
NOT get room or board as part of their compensation.
They do not eat at the head table. They bring a lunch
or go out for lunch. 

Is that true, well we don't know, but true or not, it 
is a logical explanation for what we see. Keeping in
mind that it is never going to truly add up.

Steve/bboyminn