Curious about boarding schools - people visiting

[littleleahstill]

No: HPFGUIDX 185296

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "magnolia11875" 
<magnolia11875 at ...> wrote:
>
> Hey there
> 
> I've been wondering about boarding schools in general and Hogwarts 
in
> particular and I'm curious as to the policy of boarding schools
> concerning visitors, both parents and other adult visitors.  We 
never
> really see Harry or anyone around him having visitors, though that
> doesn't necessarily mean that students in general can't have 
visitors
> and don't have visitors.  But would the typical boarding school be
> friendly towards visitors?
> 
> Even more, would a boarding school like Hogwarts, something that 
seems
> to be steeped in values from a different time, a part of a society
> that seems to be of a time in the past, have policies allowing
> visitors casually?  Parents and possibly non-parents both?  Or would
> it be for emergencies only?
> 
> Quite curious and hoping this message makes sense to the good people
> on this list.
> 
> Tabby

Leah: Not having gone to boarding school myself, I can only answer 
from my childhood reading of English school fiction, such as Enid 
Blyton's 'Malory Towers', Anthony Buckridge's 'Jennings' books and 
the sort of 'Beryl Saves the Day' sort of books my mother possessed.  
In all of these, there was very little parental contact with the 
school or with the child at school.  There always seemed to be a 
weekly letter writing period for the children but visits took place 
about once a term (usually the half term period).  If I recall 
correctly, parents were sent for in emergencies such as serious 
illness of the child, but there was certainly no casual dropping in.

It's often a requirement of children's stories of course that 
parental contact is limited or removed, but judging from my 
experiences at English local authority run (US public) schools, the 
lack of contact portrayed was not inaccurate.  My schooling was 
around the same time as that of Harry's parents' generation, and 
although we were day pupils, there was very little parent/school 
interaction.  We were dropped off and collected at the school gates 
(no parents in the playground) and my parents saw the teachers once a 
term at a 'parents' evening' to discuss progress (and there was an 
end of year report).    By contrast, when my daughters were being 
educated (at about the same time as Harry), there was a great deal of 
contact - parents helping out with reading, cooking etc in primary 
school, waiting in primary school playgrounds, chatting with the 
staff, and lots of secondary school meetings to discuss various 
stages of school life.  There would obviously be less contact at a 
boarding school, but I believe there has been a similar relaxation.

So the lack of contact is on line with real life for the 
Marauders'generation, but distinctly old-fashioned by the time Harry 
is at school

Leah     
>