You wrote: "Comprehensive schools abolished selection. Everybody gets the same education and the exams."
Not entirely true. Selection has ended entirely in state-run comprehensives but, if you are lucky enough to afford public or private school, (public schools in Britain are entirely different to the concept of the US) the chances of a better education, unfortunately in my view, is substantially improved. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Terry Simpson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Monday, October 13, 2003 1:53 PM Subject: [USMA:27165] RE: Harry Potter and the order of the Empire > She is making a little joke. The previous system of free education in > Britain involved Grammar schools and Secondary moderns. There was an exam at > the age of 11 (the '11 plus'). > > If you passed, you were sent to a 'Grammar' school and got subjects like > latin etc. The exams were Ordinary (O) levels at age 16, and Advanced (A) > levels at age 18. Ordinary Wizarding Level is clearly a reference to the 'O > level'. > > If you failed, you were sent to a 'Secondary Modern' and got practical > subjects like woodwork (boys) and typing (girls). The exams were > 'Certificates of Secondary education (CSE). > > Comprehensive schools abolished selection. Everybody gets the same education > and the exams. > > If I understand it correctly, her joke is based on the fact that she has > invented class based world. There are muggles and there are wizards. > Selection is inherent in such a world. It would not make much sense to send > muggles and wizards to the same school. Harry was selected for wizard > schooling at around the same age as selection in the old system. > > > > -- > Terry Simpson > Human Factors Consultant > Connected Systems Ltd > > > From: Howard Ressel [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > I stand corrected then. I didn't get that from the context and its not a > > term I have heard of on this side of the pond. > > > > > > >>> "Terry Simpson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 10/07/03 11:31AM >>> > > Howard Ressel wrote: > > >"Naturally, there are no wizard comprehensives." > > > > > >Not true. At the end of their 5th year each student takes toe > > >O.W.L.'s (Ordinary Wizarding Level) I believe there is also a > > >N.E.W.T. exam (or some such thing) at higher leves. > > > > A 'comprehensive' is a type of school, not a type of exam. >
