Election Debate #2: Education

[Ava King]

Ava King felt honored and humbled to be running the second debate. As previous Headmistress at Hogwarts, Ava felt comfortable knowing that she had a right to be there, however it was still a great privilege. She was still close friends with Cyndi and with children still attending the school, she knew the happenings and the curriculum still. Ava was interested to see what the candidates were going to bring to the debate, although all topics were important, this was definitely one close to her heart.

Straightening her robes, Ava steadied her own nerves and excitement, giving a small smile and introduction to each of the candidates who were each behind their own podium. After, she double checked her notes were straight and in order, looking at the persons in charge of the equipment getting the okay to get started as the clock ticked over. With a deep breath, Ava took her place, getting started. "Kia ora, Aotearoa!* Welcome to the second debate in this Ministerial Election. Today's focus of the debate is on Education, as I'm sure you are all most aware. My name is Ava King, a previous Headmistress at Hogwarts New Zealand and I will be moderating this debate today. Although I'm sure many of you tuned into the previous debate, and these fine candidates are already well known to you, it is my honor to introduce them to you. Please join me in welcoming: Victoire Fontaine, Rupert Cresswell, James Cade, Clarissa Vernier, Briar Rowan-Cullen and Siobahn McGowan." Ava gave a few seconds after each name to allow for applause from the group gathered there. "We'll jump straight into it today. Our first question asks "Do you think there should be schools, prior to Hogwarts, for students of non magical families to learn and become acquainted with magic?"

*Kia ora, Aotearoa = Hello, New Zealand

Out of Character: Welcome to the second election debate! This topic is closed, only Ava King and the candidates may reply here, but the debate will be broadcast on the Wizarding Wireless Network and all RPers are encouraged to RP their other characters listening via radio and reacting in other threads.

This debate will run for 2 weeks, with roughly 72 hours allocated per question. This means we're going to be moving quite fast, so candidates are reminded to pay close attention to this thread and keep their responses quick. Thank you all in advance for participating, and enjoy the debate!

 

[Rupert Cresswell]

After the first debate, Rupert felt more confident than ever in his campaign for Minister. He had spoken with strength and intelligence, and as far as he was concerned, clearly showed his dominance over the other candidates while presenting a likeable face to the public. All the things a politician should do. Today Rupert was even more in his element, revelling in the small audience that had gathered for the debate. He shared out waves and smiles freely as he made his way onto the stage and settled his notes on his podium, already knowing he was unlikely to use them. It was good to look prepared, certainly, but the best debating came from reacting in the moment. He listened as the host introduced herself and the candidates, giving the audience a cheerful grin and wave as his name was announced, before the first question was read out.

"Without question." Rupert answered, smile unbreakable as he spoke. "I don't think anyone would deny that under our current system we effectively throw unprepared eleven year olds in the deep end, with no opportunity to learn about the culture and society they're entering. Joining the magical world is not just about magic - it's lifestyle, it's language, it's history, all things that put muggle-born children at a disadvantage next to their peers. We do a disservice to children and families we have a responsibility to support, and I believe that pre-Hogwarts education is an excellent way to help close that gap. I would be in favour of these schools focusing more on culture and history than magic itself, as that's a job for Hogwarts, and I would also strongly support parents and immediate family of the children also being welcome in these lessons. We ask a lot of trust from muggle parents, and the least we can do is to give them the context to understand the path their children's lives will be taking." Rupert leaned back with an easy smile, glad that the first question had been so easy. He had done his research, and knew that Minister Holland had run on a platform of supporting and embracing muggles within magical society, and it was easy to follow in the footsteps of such a clearly popular platform.

 

[Victoire Fontaine]

Victoire had obviously following the first debate, had meetings with her team to figure out what points she needed to hit and the ways in which had come across well, and not come across well at all. It felt a little weird to see Ava King again, the last time she'd seen her, it had been her own graduation and the weight of her friend's death had been heaviest. Now, as a fully and grown adult with her own children it was odd. But that was life. it made sense that a former head mistress that she would host the debate about education and truly it was almost nice to see a comforting face. She nodded at her own name and then considered the first question. It was quite soemthing to start with but clearly something that was on the minds of many a voter. The first to speak was Mr Cresswell, who had many correct points but in her mind didn't really offer too much, simply it seemed agreeing with the woman.

"You know, I'd love to consider the word school there in the question; should there be schools prior to Hogwarts for students of non-magical families? How do we define schools, do we just mean classes, do we mean a whole course, how optional is it for these children, at what point do we do this. We know that magical first presents at around 7, and kids then appear on the Hogwarts register, but if we do it too early they might struggle to keep it secret, struggle to form bonds with the kids around them because of this information. If older, would it not just make sense to give Hogwarts the resources or use ministry resources to have a class or a couple of lessons on the magical world" Victoire started, since she thought it was right to teach students and parents to have options, but didn't think it needed to be whole schools. "I disagree with Mr. Cresswell, I believe that it would depend on what sort of thing was set up to then decide what sort of Hogwarts or ministry support it would need." Victoire took a little breath letting her last point settled.

"I do not believe we should have schools for children of non-magical families prior to Hogwarts, in fact I do believe that magical kids should have some form of pre-Hogwarts schooling, but I think we should wait until kids have their letters and in those letters invite them to come along to a knowledge session at the ministry." Victoire took a little breath, "Where they can get an introduction to the world. It would only be for a day and cover things like what exists in our world that doesn't in there, why we keep things secret, who can they tell about this, who can't they," Victoire said, "I believe with this we could offer tandem information and guidance to parents or guardians and perhaps run a session for them too. My focus would always be on the children themselves, and all of this would be optional, run by employees of the ministry and not be a whole school,"​

 

[Clarissa Vernier]

Clarissa was already wondering before the second debit whether she should continue to go and continue to subject her family to all these torments. She had already exhausted herself, but she could not give up, although she did not know if she had a chance to win and become a minister. Of course, expectations could not be given up, although it gradually disappeared with each passing moment. Clarissa had a hunch that everyone could vote for, but kept her thoughts to her. Probably to blame was the desire to become a minister. If only a fortune will make her smile.

Arriving for the second debit with any questions this time. Will it be possible to answer them at all? Then the first question will come to me. This time Clarissa had no idea how long everything would be this time. It didn't take long for everything to start. After hearing the question and also what the candidates said, and as soon as they could express their opinion.

''If I will allow myself to agree this time, Mr. Cresswell says schools need to muggle children so they need to be prepared before arriving in Hogwarts. It will not be enough to inform parents or guardians. The children themselves need to know about the magical world if they have once received letters. There will not be enough information from the books alone. Need more information. It would be unfair to throw them in Hogwarts and tell them nothing about the place they should go to. I would say that they need to be given some additional information not only about the school itself, but also about the subjects and also what awaits them if someone chooses one of the professions in the magical world in the future. That is my plan and position that we must do everything we can to get the muggle families prepared for everything that awaits them as soon as their offspring receive a letter from Hogwarts.'' Clarissa expressed her opinion, because that was her position and what will be the opinion of others was also interesting. However, she stuck to her point of view and nothing will change it there or that.

As soon as everything was said about the first question, the woman sat down comfortably in a chair and waited for what would be next. Because there will be a very long day there was no doubt about it.

 

[Rupert Cresswell]

Rupert listened to his opponents speak with interest, quickly latching onto arguments he could pick apart. He took some time to turn Mrs. Fontaine's argument over in his mind before clearing his throat. "Mrs. Fontaine, if I may offer a rebuttal?" He said, charming grin firmly in place as he spoke in an even, light tone. "In my early career I was fortunate enough to see much of the world, and I believe the answer to many of your concerns lies in the hands of our friends in Japan. The magic school Mahoutokoro operates in a quite unique manner, and has done so for many centuries with no ill effects. They do start magical schooling at age 7, with the students as day pupils until they turn 11. Given that to my knowledge there has never been any great scandal relating to the Statute in Japan, I believe there is substantial evidence that your concern about seven year olds' ability to keep a secret is misplaced. These children are flown to Mahoutokoro every morning, study magic for the day, then are flown home to their own lives, which for some children means a return to the muggle world. While I do not think this is a structure Hogwarts is necessarily equipped to take on, a similar institute for younger children could do a world of good. I find the idea of a single orientation session incredibly insufficient, the idea that one could easily take thousands of years of history and culture and condense it into a single day's worth of teaching strikes me as preposterous. If muggleborn children and their families are to feel comfortable within magical society, we must make more of an effort to truly welcome and integrate them."

He paused, hands folded calmly on the podium in front of him as he continued speaking. "I also strongly reject the idea that we should solely focus on the children. As I said, we expect an enormous amount of trust from parents. While I have not been so lucky as to experience fatherhood myself I imagine that if I were, should I be in a position where a group of strangers express a wish to take my child away from me for seven years I would have quite a few objections in mind. Welcoming parents in and making them more involved in the process can only serve to ease minds and answer questions. Muggle families aware of magic already keep the magical world secret the same as anyone else, what real reason do we have to keep information from them that we readily hand to their children?"

 

[Briar Rowan-Cullen]

Briar was surprised at how quickly the campaign year was going. she felt like she had done okay with the first debate. but also not made too many points. the second one on education was one that she was preparing for. she was in a unique position amongst the candidates. she had been a student at Hogwarts many years ago. and more recently she had three children and at the school as well as one excited to attend in a couple of years. but more importantly she had taken a year long sabbatical a couple of years ago to teach there as well. so as she took her place on the podium she felt at least a bit prepared. that was not even considering the readings and policy that she had been working on with her team.
She was slightly surprised to see Ava king. her former headmistress and mother of her late dorm mate leading this discussion. She listened to the first question and the other two candidates replies before providing her own. her thought went to Adelia her campaign manager and how she had been a muggle with a daughter in the school. of course her then partner had been a wizard which had helped with the shock but she knew a lot of students could not be so lucky.
"In essence I am tending to agree with Mr Creswell and ms vernier. It is a big shock to the system to find out that you child is not necessarily like other children. that they are part of a world that you didn't even dare dream of. it is also a shock to the child the life they knew. all the friends that have made over the last ten years gone in a single letter. I believe that there should be some way to aid the transition." she paused for a second. "I have heard that here at Hogwarts muggle born students have been known to organise get togethers so they can get to know each other. and talk about interesting things that they have found out. but why not preempt that so like their non muggle born classmates they can go to the school at least knowing someone else." she paused for a second "It would also be good for parents. they are being told not only that their beloved child is special but also that there is a while world out there that they know nothing about and they are just expected to accept that and let their child freely into the arms of madmen with sticks? and keep it a secret from all those near and dear to them. friends that they have known forever asking where the child is? how would you answer that? It would be useful to bring these parents together to network without worrying about breaching the statute of secrecy. she said.
she listened as Mr Creswell spoke about schooling in Japan and she suddenly realised how New Zealand focused her knowledge was and how she was actually less prepared than she had thought. "Thank you for that insight in the culture of Japan Mr Creswell. that must be a huge undertaking from Mahoutokoro school. and I am sure it works for them. but here I am not thinking that it would be full time schooling. the children will still need basics of school like our children do. be that home schooling or muggle school. but maybe one optional day or evening a week for the year before Hogwarts to gain an understanding of our culture and why secrecy is important as well as what ms Vernier suggested insights to what they will expect at school and respects beyond that." she said.

 

[Siobhan McGowan]

ooc: sorry all - I've been dead from illness. If I'm not actually allowed to post past the 72 hour mark, please let me know!

Siobhan was rather excited for this next part of the debate. Education was important to her campaign, and this debate would definitely prove helpful to securing some votes. As the first question was asked, Siobhan let the others go before her, finding it odd that Victorie was against something that seemed so essential. "If I may interject, I do tend to agree with the majority of the candidates in saying we need some form of pre-Hogwarts education. So many of our students who grow in the magical world are homeschooled, and there seems to be no reason we can't provide a formal educational institute for those who would prefer it. There should still be a focus on basic skills like reading, writing, math, history - but there could be a course or two each year to provide a better intoduction into the magical world. And multiple offerings for parents, whether or not their students attend these institutions could be provided. A course on finances, creatures and magical folk they may encounter - even a tour of shops so they know where to take their children to get school supplies. If we want students with supportive families, we need to provide the families with those resources and education, as well." She may have gone a little off topic, but she felt it was important, as it definitely related to education before Hogwarts.

 

[Ava King]

Ava listened carefully as each candidate spoke. It was interesting to see each of their view points, and what they all thought was best. While the majority thought some sort of pre schooling was the best, they all had different ideas about how they thought it should be handled. Ava was thankful that they were all being civil and polite with each other, as she knew politicians could often get out of hand and behave childish, so she was thankful for the breath of fresh air; though, it was only the beginning still, there were still a couple of questions and the candidates had plenty of time to prove her wrong.
"Thank you, Candidates. It is time to move on to our next question, which is related closely to the first question. "A lot of emphasis is placed on education at Hogwarts. What plans, if any, do you have for adult education and continuing development?"" Ava asked, taking a step back for the candidates to speak again.

 

[Rupert Cresswell]

Rupert was pleased not to face further rebuttal, listening with polite interest as the other candidates went on to agree by and large with what he had said. Whether others had better points or not, as far as Rupert was concerned the most important thing was that he had said it first, most often and loudest, clearly the speaker who would stand out most vibrant in the public's mind. When the next question was asked he couldn't help his grin broadening as he leaned forward to speak first again. "Continued education is actually one of the pillars of my campaign, and I'm delighted for the opportunity to speak more on it." Rupert said with a brilliant smile. "It's a travesty that we simply loose young witches and wizards upon the world with no further support after Hogwarts, and I believe bridging that gap to be of utmost importance. One of my priorities would be to set up an organisation dedicated to matching young witches and wizards with masters in their chosen fields seeking apprentices. It's all too easy for old crafts to die out should no young people move in to pick up the mantle, and creating an easy pathway into these apprenticeships will encourage young people to find support to join career paths outside of the norm."

Eyes alight with interest, Rupert continued. "I would also be interested to look into the feasibility of developing a tertiary institution, similar to those that exist in the muggle world, to encourage further study in more academic fields. There is a lot that Hogwarts doesn't and simply can not teach, and for those interested in continued study in - for example, the development of new spells - it would be beneficial to provide an institute for continued learning, so that our best minds are well equipped to pool their resources and knowledge and pass them on to future generations. I firmly believe that tertiary institutes are one of the ways muggle society has managed to progress so much faster than our own, and we must strongly consider the benefits that might result from such a system. If we consider ourselves well-educated after seven years, how much more brilliant might we become with an additional three or four?" He chuckled lightly. "An additional function these institutes might serve is in remedial studies - for those who perhaps missed a NEWT or two they needed to get a second chance. It is all too easy for people to fall behind in our society based simply in mistakes made when they were barely more than children. The least we can do is reach out a helping hand." Satisfied with his points made, Rupert leaned back and waited for his opponents to speak, ear ever-tuned for weak points.

 

[Briar Rowan-Cullen]

Briar listened to the next question and to Mr Cresswells answer. continued education. she took a breath before making her statement. "Continued education is something that is valuable to the entire community. we can see it already in some careers such as at St Mungoes where they have a dedicated training program. as candidate Cresswell has pointed out you can also see it where some people who are skilled in a specific area take on apprentices to share that skill with to prevent it from becoming lost. as not every branch of magic could be taught at Hogwarts and many are only studied in " she said. "but there are other places where this would be useful. student who, for whatever reason, don't complete their newts or who decide further down the line to change careers and require different NEWTS it would be of benefit for everyone to have an option to catch up or learn skills on subjects outside of those offered at Hogwarts. I believe in the muggle world these kind of education institutions are Called Pollytech's or TAFEs. she paused not sure if this would be an outrageous point. "some subjects magic, others made not. accounting, small business management and teaching for example could be just as useful to those in the magical world as those in the muggle one and support those starting off in careers who are expected to go from Hogwarts at eighteen to sometimes very adult jobs with minimal formal training or support " she said.
"for specialist areas it may be more useful to find ways to connect masters with apprentices as a course in some art forms could not do them justice, or they are are in a very niche area that would not usually attract a high level of interest" she said. she couldn't think of much else to say so she paused and looked at the other candidates to see what their views were.

 

[Siobhan McGowan]

Siobhan was considering how to respond to this next question, especially after listening to her fellow candidates' answers. She thought the idea of these continuing education institutions was brilliant and much needed. "I tend to agree with Mr. Cresswell and Mrs. Rowan-Cullen regarding the need for more education. So many of our students are told to pick their careers are such young ages, and it's a disservice to them. As was mentioned previously, education in 'non-traditional magic careers' is a must - businesses management and food service are a great start to that. In my opinion, it would behoove us to have different locations of CE with different focuses that then allow students to do internships or externships with leaders in those fields. It could even help our international relations by working partnering with other countries who have established programs to subsidize fees for our citizens." Siobhan took a breath and thought for a moment, before continuing. "Presenting our students with careers outside the ministry will help us become a more well-rounded society."

 

[Victoire Fontaine]

Victoire was considering the answers given by the other candidates to that first question, she found Mr Cresswell's rebuttals interesting enough but she didn't agree with them, they didn't have the infrastructure in place for such a thing, nor did she think those would be easy to set up. Her campaign was built on the idea of the wizarding kids getting more education as a proxy fror helping parents who needed childcare, in releasing funds to those who wanted to homeschool. But muggle kids, this was a whole different ball park, how did they account for all the kids who weren't in the area but who moved to it - as she had. What if the parents were distrustful and unwilling to send their kids upon learning more about it. She believe they were fair thing to want to achive but she didn't necessarily agree on the ways to do it. But the question moved on, and the next, obvious one was asked, what about after Hogwarts. Victoire considered the points that the others were making. A lot of them offering elements of higher education.

"I believe that there is a lot we can do for adults in the magical world, as other colleagues have outlined, we have a number of careers which offer further education options, I would like other colleagues make to offer further vocational learning elements for those with a passion for herbology or transfiguration, for potions, all of which can be supported by ministry money," Victoire said. "I think too, we support the kids at Hogwarts with an allowance, which if young wizard decided to pursue academics and go to a muggle university, I would propose to continue giving them that allowance." Victoire said, "I do think it would be difficult to set up our own further education facilities, there would be a lot of questions of it, and perhaps this could be a long term eventual goal of myself and future ministers," she wasn't promising to do it, or deliver on it. She didn't think it was that possible, and would be quite a massive task. "But I do believe we'd do a lot more in just helping people, not just our recent graduates in providing them with plentiful avenues of work, education and careers by adding funding to a lot of the processes we already have in place,"​

 

[Ava King]

Ava listened as the candidates answered. It was very interesting to hear their answers, they all spoke a lot but none as much as Rupert. All of them seemed to have the same idea, just vocalized in different ways. Not all of them answered, but unfortunately time was up. "Thank you again, Candidates, for your answers. It's time for us to move on to the next question." Ava read it, taking a small breath before reading the question. ""Would you continue to allow access to students to the Forbidden Forest, especially after the circumstances of last year? Why and why not?""

 

[Briar Rowan-Cullen]

Briar heard the next question and made to speak first. she was sure that her position would be controversial amongst the candidates and she didn't want to start making her point on the back foot already defending the point. "To start. I am not sure how much access to the forrest is currently 'allowed' it is called the forbidden forrest and it is clearly stated in the school rules that students should not access it other than while supervised by a professor for classes. I know in my short time teaching I took my care of magical creatures class in to see animals that reside in there and I believe both the herbology and potions classes also use its abundance of plant life for class" she started. outlining the point. "but those of you who believe that calling something forbidden is a good way to stop teenagers accessing it have not spent enough time amongst teenagers. I admit that as a student I spent a lot of time amongst the trees. did I get caught? yes. did I still go in? absolutely." she said. though she was a bit of a special case. when she had first started at the school the forest had been more like a home to her than the castle was. "Yes there are dangers in there, as Mrs king pointed out the incident last year could have been far worse than it was. and but there are dangers everywhere. I am sure the nursing staff have seen more injuries from the quidditch pitch than from events in the forest. yes there is the potential for more serious accidents in there, and ones that may go longer without being detected. but there are also a lot of benefits to accessing the forrest. as I stated before it is a habitat for many plants and animals that students learn about. I am a firm believer that there is a lot that you learn in school that is not learned in the classroom and the forest is a great resource to explore and learn. imagine a student passionate about plants. that option to freely explore the forest and see it in their own way will help foster that passion and intrigue which they later may use to find a cure for Spattergroit. A change of environment can be good for recreational activities and decreased stress." she said. hiking, bush walking, running and tree climbing, all good. "It is interesting that you brought up the circumstances of last year. the the incident its self involved a creature that was not native to the forest. it was introduced to the forest by a student. and it did more harm to the non human residents of the woodland than it did the students in the school. which brings me to the key reason for why students should be allowed to access the forest. If people are told that something is dangerous from a young age. that it should be avoided then that innocence will tern into ignorance into a lack of respect. we are not alone in the Wizarding world. and the forest is a haven for for those who don't have the ability to blend into the muggle world. banning students from exploring the forest means that they loose the opportunity to develop respect for it and the things within. it stops being a living entity and becomes something lesser something unworthy of time or effort to understand something to be used. it may sound like hippy nonsense but I know that the natural world needs us and we need it. I that synergy between us is important for everyone and every being" she said. "I am not saying that the students should have free reign of the forest. there are dangers in there. but not using it at all is a serious limit to an amazing resource available right on the doorstep. but by allowing access you can also add restrictions on how to reduce those risks such as ensuring that students travel in groups, that they let someone at the castle know when they are entering and ow long for, that that they know to send up red sparks if there is any trouble that a professor can see and act upon before things get out of hand. it is not about removing all the risks. everything has risks, a walk around the lake or through the garden, even climbing the stairs. it is about reducing and managing the risks which allowing access will do." she finished leaving a clear outline as to what could be done to both allow students to explore the forest and to reduce the risk of dangers.

 

[Rupert Cresswell]

Rupert listened to his opponents speak, biting back a chuckle at some of them. However reasonable it might be, promising small incremental change was hardly the way to win an election. He didn't bother pushing back though, listening as the host moved on to the next question. He allowed someone else to speak first this time, curious as to who would take the reins. He listened as Mrs. Rowan-Cullen spoke, nodding slightly in agreement. "I must agree with Mrs. Rowan-Cullen's stance, and add a few points of my own." He said, collecting his thoughts. "Regarding the recent incident first, I believe it is important to look at the situation in perspective. While the Forbidden Forest provided a convenient venue, recent events at Hogwarts could just as easily, and far more dangerously taken place in a secluded area of the dungeons, or a long-deserted classroom. While I doubt we should be planning for the same to occur with any frequency, it is important to consider the facts of the situation, and the reality is simply that the forest itself was not related to events that took place within it. If anything, the forest's involvement likely prevented a far worse outcome."

Pausing, Rupert allowed himself a small smile as he continued. "I believe in looking at the forest itself, we must take recent events out of the equation in favour of looking at the history of Hogwarts itself. In decades of operation, to my knowledge there has never been a student death due to ventures in the forest. It's my understanding that even harm is a rare occurrence. As Mrs. Rowan-Cullen said, one must consider the proclivity of youth to push back against any rules. Calling a forest forbidden may invite in one or two troublemakers from time to time, but if the forest were sealed off entirely? You have all at once created the most delicious forbidden fruit, one that children will no doubt go to great lengths to reach. And one that will be significantly more dangerous to them, as I imagine sealing the forest off would lead to fewer patrols of the area, and less surveillance of students near the border. It would be harder for students who were in danger to access help, especially if they wind up sealed in by this barrier. Harsher punishments for venturing in would also no doubt make students far more reticent to seek help should they find themselves in need. I certainly believe that students should not be allowed in to the forest without appropriate supervision and protection, but I do not think there are any grounds for sealing the forest off any more than it already is. Education, as ever, is key. Inform students of the specific dangers, rather than simply giving them a tantalising mysterious forbidden adventure, and they will be able to make more intelligent decisions on their own, rather than traipsing about without any understanding of what they risk."

 

[Clarissa Vernier]

Clarissa thought for a moment because it seemed very difficult today and therefore it was quite difficult to concentrate, but she had to get to the end. She listened to the question, then waited until the others answered. It was not clear that there were different answers, and this led to reflections on everything that needed to be changed to make their world a better place.

It did not take long for the question to be raised. Clarissai, of course, did not respond immediately, but pondered the answer and listened to the other candidates. Until she had a chance, she also expressed her opinion. ''We definitely need to keep banning students from going to the Forbidden Forest. They can only go to the forest with a professor if it is necessary for a lesson of magical creatures. Continue to inform them of the ban, but it could still impose a special protective barrier that they could not circumvent with any spell. Only the professors would have such an opportunity." she said, then it was left to see what others would say and probably wouldn't agree with her, but it didn't matter anymore, because Clarissa wanted to protect the children.

 

[Victoire Fontaine]

Victoire had of course heard about the incident at Hogwarts, it had been the talking point of the ministry for a while. Victoire listened to the other opinions of the candidates and found hersel agreeing most of all with Mr Cresswell, who certainly had some interesting points. "I'd add some personal experience here, as Ms King will possibly remember, when I was seventh year at Hogwarts a dear friend of mine drowned in the Hogwarts lake. It was a horrible accident, devasting my year group and many of the people at school. He had always gone swimming since first year, he liked the rocks at the bottom and had been a rather strong swimmer due to that, and due to quidditch, but he was not a strong spell caster and when he found himself in distress was unable to alert anyone to the fact. His death was a tragedy but technically could've been prevented by a wall around the lake or some spell but that's not a viable reaction to such an incident," Victoire paused, it was the first time she'd mentioned it in specific detail.

"Knowing this, and knowing very well that students will go into the forest regardless of how forbidden we make it, we should as Mr. Cresswell said, seek to educate our young people specifically on what to do if something happens. If I were to be made minister I would have a professor at Hogwarts teach all children when they first arrive the spell to signify distress, so that should something happen, they can immediately signal for help. I would endeavour to have the hospital wing offer courses in basic first aid, muggle and magical so that if something happens students can do something, and I would ask that a professor teaches students about the sort of creatures they might run into in the forest and what to do," Victoire outlined. "I would also propose more groundstaff whose job it would be to monitor the lake, the forest and the cliffs, and be on guard to step in if things go wrong and in the case of the forest, prevent students from getting in," Victoire knew that too much focus on students and teaching them would make it seem like she wouldn't want it to remain forbidden. "Students will have access to the forbidden forest, as they currently do, I agree there is much to learn and gain from nature, but trips into the forest should be in the company of an adult, and if not, they should have tools at their disposable to do something if something happens. The more prepared they are, the more vigilant we are, the more we can we did everything in our power to prevent accidents,"

Victoire cleared her throat, "I think it should be remembered too that the incident at Hogwarts at the end of last semester was as a direct result of students who callously endangered the lives of all the staff and children at the school. The forest is dangerous without a doubt, and I would've sought these changes regardless, but I think it's important that we be clear on the role the forest played in this incident and not unduly restrict the forest because of it,"​

 

[Ava King]

It seemed the candidates were very passionate about this specific question. They also appeared to have the same ideas of what should happen with the forest, except for Candidate Vernier. Ava looked at Candidate Rowan-Cullen when she mentioned that Ava brought up the forest incident, but all she was doing was just asking the questions provided. Her name was brought up again by Candidate Fontaine, this time mentioning Avie. It was definitely on of the hardest thing she had experienced at that school. She was glad that the basilisk didn't hurt any of the children, though it was hard to hear that it had hurt the wildlife and creatures in the forest.
"Thank you candidates. It is time for us to move on again to our next question. "What are your thoughts on the current curriculum taught at Hogwarts New Zealand? Are there any classes you would add or remove from the curriculum?""

 

[Victoire Fontaine]

Victoire hadn't given any thought to current curriculum of Hogwarts. It wasn't her intention to get too much into what was taught there, other than to add elements of different courses, to improve education in some fields and to improve perhaps the pay of the professors and so immediate when the question was asked, she decided to speak. "I think I'd want to start answering this question by assuring any of the listening professors that I will not remove any classes from the curriculum, all the current professors can remain assured that I would not dare take their jobs. My biggest desire for the professors is that they get a wage increase, the professors ar Hogwarts work tirelessly and have not seen wage increases for a long while, and they deserve it," Victoire started, she was sure that others in this debate would say the same.

"I wouldn't remove any courses, but I would want the ministry to have more oversight of specifically the muggle studies course, which has in the past been said to be out of date. But I think it's important that we take the time to make sure all the courses remain up to date so that students learning get the most up to date information. As I said in the last question I would push for more first aid courses, and for more education around the forest, and for more students to learn how to signal distress with their magic," Victoire said. "I would always be open to Hogwarts themselves asking about any courses they would like to add, if there's a professor or desire amongst students to learn a certain subject then I would want the ministry to be informed so that we can help faciliate that, with funds or the necessary contacts," Victoire said. "Overall, the curriculum at Hogwarts is good, the flavour that professors bring is great and I would not seek the remove any, only to add if there's a demand and make sure that the information taught are up to date,"​

 

[Rupert Cresswell]

Rupert had to bite back a small smile at Vernier's answer - a perfect example of the kind of policy he thought was most ill-suited. He considered rebutting her answer, but he had already said everything he felt he needed to say in response. Fontaine had some interesting points to make, and he filed them away quietly to steal later, once people had had enough time to forget who said them first. As the next question came around, Rupert took a moment to consider it. For all the research he had done, children's and teens education was just not an area he had much of a foothold at all, and he listened to Mrs. Fontaine's answer as he was formulating his own, taking the time to think things through.

"To answer this question, I'd like to tie back to my answers to the first two questions." Rupert said with a broad smile. "While I believe the current courses at Hogwarts are comprehensive, I believe there are areas our education system needs to be expanded. I believe that both pre and post Hogwarts education should exist to fill these gaps, rather than foisting more work on already overworked teachers. In the mean time however, I would prioritise two stopgap solutions; firstly an additional mandatory class in first year covering differences between the magical and muggle worlds, in the interest of building tolerance and understanding between students from such massively different cultural backgrounds. Secondly, I would like to organise an internship program. In the long term I would prefer to run this outside of Hogwarts, as I said in my previous answer, but in the early days I believe it would be best served as a branch of Hogwarts, allowing students to connect with professionals in the fields they would like to pursue, to help arrange internships and establish careers." Rupert smiled, folding his hands in front of him. "As Mrs. Fontaine said, in regards to Hogwarts' current system, I believe that the main priorities should be increasing teachers' salaries, and providing up-to-date resources, so that professors have access to everything they need to keep their lessons consistent with the most current advances in their fields. Muggle Studies, obviously, would likely be the fastest moving field, but magic is advancing in all quarters, and we need to keep moving with the times in order to raise those who will make the next wave of innovations." Rupert was relieved to be done with the question, leaning back slightly to let one of his opponents speak next.

 

[Ava King]

Ava quite liked the two candidate's answers; the Professors definitely deserved a raise. The two had similar answers during this debate, and they were both very well spoken; typical politicians. Ava was going to have to listen back to the debate so she could properly decode what each of them were saying. Ava waited a couple of moments just to double check if any of the other candidates had anything to add on, before continuing. "We're past the half way point, and just have two more questions left. This one is a two part question; "How involved do you believe the Ministry should be in the goings on of the school? Do you believe the current level of involvement is adequate or lacking?""

 

[Rupert Cresswell]

Ruperty couldn't help a small measure of disappointment that the debate was nearing its close. Getting to speak his piece, to elegantly pull others apart, and know the entire nation was hanging on his every word - that was what this was all about. The most exhilarating part of the experience, without question. The day to day of campaigning was gritty and tedious, but this... Rupert could happily debate forever. He listened as the next question was given, smile as easy and charming as ever as he replied. "I am not a teacher, nor have I ever been one. The same is true of every candidate in this election I believe, with the exception of Mrs. Rowan-Cullen. As surely as I am unqualified to tell Healers how to do their jobs, so am I unqualified to tell Professors. Education and childhood development is a very specialised area, and it would be arrogant to presume that a Ministry led by those who have no training in that specialty are in any way equipped to run a school."

Giving his most charming smile, Rupert continued. "I firmly believe that the Ministry's relationship with Hogwarts should be one of support, not of control. We should be working with the Headmistress and Professors to ensure they have all the resources they need to shape the minds of the next generation of witches and wizards. Likewise, I believe there should be a communication channel open for Hogwarts Professors to provide input and guidance on areas of the education system they find lacking. For all we've blustered today, almost none of us are speaking from a position of experience, and I imagine there have been a fair few answers that have had Hogwarts staff tearing their hair out at our lack of understanding. Educators deserve to have a say in the formation of educational policy, and I would strongly encourage more integration between the Ministry and the school in that capacity. As I said before, I believe that our role in education should always be one of support. Through hearing and respecting the input of experienced teachers, and providing them with the resources they need, we can ensure a bright educational future for generations to come."

 

[Victoire Fontaine]

Victoire was a little surprised that she was already towards the end of this second debate. She wasn't sure if she'd said enough, if she'd put her point across enough. She wanted to do well, do well to give this her best shot. Victoire listened to the next question and felt it was natural to ask something like that when talking about education. She had almost been the first to speak but was beaten to it by Mr. Cresswell. She noted his points and thought it was broad, in a sense that would always mean something good could be taken from it, but not how she'd want to approach it. "There is a fine line separating Hogwarts and the ministry, the government body dictates when exams should be and our Examination board, based in the ministry does play a hand in approving exams and setting the standard," Victoire started, "We're also involved in the school in other ways, like a ministry employee and not a professor teaches apparition," she said. "We're involved in the school, unfortunately, if the school wants it or not," she knew she was picking small details but thought it valid to talk about the connections that did exist.

"But in saying that, I don't think the ministry needs to be more involved than it is, unless the school asks us to be," Victoire said. "I think that level of involvement should be reviewed and considered by the school every couple of years and I do think the head staff members at Hogwarts should meet at least annually with the ministry to go over their concerns and needs for the year ahead. If I were minister, I wouldn't set out to change anything, but I would set out to improve our communication, to improve how and when the ministry and professors speak to each other, thus introducing the annual meetings. As we've outlined, both in this debate and the one prior the ability of our two bodies to have positive communication channels is quite important."

"One of my over arching policies from this campaign is to set up a new department in the ministry that would oversee the welfare of magical children and it would be vital for that body to communicate with the school. For instance say if there is a child who required more focused personal learning or the school needed to communicate that a child is being treated incorrectly at home and thus there is a need for the ministry to intervene for the welfare of the child. These would involve us more within the school but it wouldn't be from a lack of involvement prior but more targetted,"

Victoire paused for a moment. "On top of all that, I think it would be only fair that the communication is also there to allow the school to request funds for new professors, to request for lots of new books or equipment. As minister I would be keen to support the school with a greater portion of the overall budget if they needed it. But again, the only way that can happen is if that communication window is open, respectful and productive, which I would aim for it to be,"​

 

[Briar Rowan-Cullen]

Briar had meant to speak up at the previous question about adding and removing classes. about adding vocational electives but she missed it and they were onto their next and penultimate question. this time she made sure to speak. "I believe that the school should run independently of the ministry. have its own governing body so that educators have the freedom to develop free thinkers" she said. "Too much interfering from the government can sow the seeds for corruption and conditioning for a specific viewpoint. the best way for society to grow up is for young people is to explore these ideas free form oppression and interference." she said. this was quite at odds of an idea to victoire who seemed to want more ministry involvement. "I am not saying that the ministry would break ties with the school. it would still support it financially, ensuring that they have the correct resources and that the staff are renumerated in a way that reflects the essential and marvelous work that they do. The ministry would of course continue to conduct the apparition course for sixth-year students as this in its self is a ministry licence made available to students for their convenience." she said pausing for a breath. she had enjoyed teaching when she had done it but she was glad that she had her own home to return to at the end of the day and wasn't expected to board in a castle full of teenagers and that she knew he position was only temporary.
"as both Mr Cresswell and ms Fontaine have stated listening to those actively involved at the school as they know what issues there areand any suggestions that they may have to resolve themas they likely have a better idea of what needs doing than we do." she said. "I would also like to take this moment to say a huge thank you to, not only the professors who do an amazing job, but the rest of the staff keeping things running. The grounds keeprs and caretakers, the nurses and counsellor, and librarians.all of whom do an amazing jobthat should be acknowledged. so thank you so much" she concluded.

 

[Ava King]

Ava listened again to the answers given from this question, very interested in the different takes between them. She definitely felt that Hogwarts was probably still going to be in good hands as far as the Ministry was concerned no matter who was elected but knew she was still going to have to relisten to everything to help her make a better decision. "Thank you Candidates. That brings us to our last question! "What course within your own schooling left an impact on you?""