Okay, maybe it's because I'm not British, but the education system in the Wizarding world makes very little sense to me (a teacher). Granted, the American system doesn't make sense to much of the rest of the world. Here in the US, we don't have college entrance exams, so I won't criticize things like OWLs or NEWTs. However, I am going to have to criticize the entire theory of education.
Primary Schooling
A Hogwarts letter arrives on a student's 11th birthday (sort of). What are the options for students before they are 11? Rowling says that they may either go to public schools or they are home schooled. It sure seems like most magical parents choose the latter option (most wizards know nothing of the Muggle world, which should not be the case if they attended public school for 6 years). Here we run into our first problem. What exactly are these children being taught?
In the US (and from what I can tell, the UK), parents are not required to follow any sort of set curriculum. Parents can teach their students essentially anything that they want. Yet the Hogwarts first year students all seem roughly on the same page. No one really stands out in their classes (excepting Hermione). There should be some students who are really ahead or really behind. No one flew a broom with their family before coming to Hogwarts? Levitation wasn't taught to students at home? I can't imagine Draco's father allowing him to go a significant portion of his life without being tutored in the magical arts. He should arrive at Hogwarts already being proficient in a variety of skills.
On top of this, it seems to say that parents are great at teaching their kids everything that a primary school would have taught. It is true that parents are responsible for the education of their children, but schools exist for a reason. There are certain pedagogy techniques that take years to learn. Professional educators have a level of expertise teaching subjects that parents do not have.
Subjects Taught at Hogwarts
Subjects that are taught at school are important. They represent not only what a society values, but what skills are necessary for a successful future. Let's consider what is offered at Hogwarts:
Core classes:
Astronomy
Charms
Defense Against the Dark Arts
Flying
Herbology
History (only of magic)
Potions
Transfiguration
Electives:
Alchemy
Apparition
Arithmancy
Care of Magical Creatures
Divination
Muggle Studies (Voldemort made this compulsory and changed the material)
Ancient Runes
In traditional education, we often refer to the 3 Rs: Reading, wRiting, and aRithmetic. These aren't listed above (Arithmancy is about predicting the future). Are we supposed to believe that students have learned everything they need to know about writing by the time they are 11? Do they know anything about algebra? Do they even have the reading level to tackle let's say a Harry Potter book?
Furthermore, surely a number of classical spell books are written in Latin. When are students learning this? Money exists in the Wizarding world. Who is teaching these students how to do basic math so they can make a budget? What about public speaking? Literature? Physics? (I guess science doesn't matter at all, if basic biology, sickness, and even gravity can be overruled by a flick of a wand)
Other Educational Options
Hogwarts is often described as the "best" school for magic in Britain. What is the competition? Home schools? It's easy to claim that you are the best if you are the only one. Although that does bring up a good point about why there aren't any other schools. As early as the first schools, there have always been more prestigious schools. The elite don't want their children associating with the peons. Why haven't those concerned about blood purity opened their own school? (I understand that Durmstrang does not admit mud-bloods, but it doesn't seem that any British children go there).
So, you are locked into a Hogwarts education whether you want it or not (That's another thing. Why is Ginny at Hogwarts during Voldemort's reign? If I knew that my child's school was being overseen by the most evil person imaginable, I would send my child into hiding, even if I couldn't run.)
There is some mention of exchange programs with other countries, but for some reason the Ministry won't pay for it (even though they fully (supposedly) fund students to attend Hogwarts). So poor students have no school choices.
Higher Ed
This is one of the most confusing aspects to me. In the Muggle world, you have a specific course to follow once you graduate high school. College, grad school, post baccalaureate work (for careers such as doctors, lawyers, etc). That doesn't seem to exist in the Wizarding world.
Everything seems to be done by apprenticeship. Aurors for example are accepted into training based on NEWT scores and then training lasts for three year. Now you're an Auror! Ginny Weasley and Rita Skeeter wanted to become journalists: so they did (see above for criticism of lacking of writing education). Doctors (I'm sorry, Healers) can apparently go into practice based on NEWT scores. I'm really uncertain as to the qualifications for becoming a barrister or politician.
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