Hogwarts casts its spell on boys and girls

Harry Potter and Hogwarts have long enchanted young readers across the world. Not just because of the Sorting Hat, action-packed Quidditch games and interesting characters such as Severus Snape or Neville Longbottom.

Many young readers are also intrigued by the idea of joining Harry Potter and his friends Ron and Hermione in attending an elite school just like Hogwarts. To many of them, attending an elite school is a castle in the air.

That is why boys and girls around the world like to imagine themselves as waiting on Platform Nine-And-Three-Quarters at King's Cross station in London, waiting for the Hogwarts Express to waft them away to elitism.

NOT JUST TO SIT EXAMS

A girls-only school was founded in Beijing in 1913 just outside the Forbidden City. It has since become one of the elite schools in the municipality, where only those who score the highest entrance exam marks each year can become enrolled.

Xuan is one such lucky girl.

But she soon noticed that one has to be careful what one wishes for: Xuan, like everyone in her school, has to cram for never-ending quizzes and tests and exams.

Her choice every day -- every day of the week -- is whether to do math first or exercise her language skills.

The scenario at school is worlds away from the one Xuan was familiar with from television programs, which depict the extra-curricular as well as classroom activities in secondary schools in other countries.

"The classmates are always the same; the teachers are always the same; the school life is always the same," sighed the 14-year-old girl. She could not help but wonder: "Is preparing for examinations the only purpose of going to school?"

Xuan has two dreams for now. She wants to become a lecturer in college, and she wants to run a music shop of her own.

As she keeps scoring high scores in her class, Xuan feels that she may see her first dream come true. But she has no idea how her second dream will ever materialize.

TO SEEK MORE POSSIBILITIES

Urawa Daiichi Joshi is synonymous with the best high school for girls in Japan.

Being admitted into this 109-year-old school automatically entails best prospects for the future.

Yukari Sakai has studied hard at night three years in a row to prepare for Urawa Daiichi Joshi's entrance exam.

Her hard work both at regular school and at after-class remedial courses finally paid off.

She got enrolled in Urawa Daiichi Joshi and, thanks to her continued hard work, graduated and entered the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies.

She now has even brighter prospects in front of her -- the possibility of working for the United Nations or for an international non-governmental organization because of her knowledge of Hindi and Hindu culture.

Yukari, now 20, is grateful to Urawa Daiichi Joshi, where she has not only gleaned knowledge from textbooks and teachers, but also benefited from the opportunity offered by the school to develop her personality to the fullest.

"An elite school should not only put students' scores high on its list of priorities, but should also provide more space for brewing possibilities for students' future development," she said.

Source:Xinhua

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