"As the name suggests, the so-called Examination-Oriented Education means that all the learning and effort we put in this year will be dedicated to preparing for the O.W.L.s examination at the end of the semester."
"Of course, it is undeniable that everyone's family background is different. For some, this exam determines whether they will gain a foothold in the future Wizarding World, but for others, they don't need to care how many 'O's or 'E's appear on their O.W.L.s certificate."
"Therefore, before the Examination-Oriented Education Plan begins, those among you who are indifferent to your O.W.L.s results may submit an application to me. You will then have the right not to participate in any teaching focused on exam content."
"But once you decide to participate, you are not permitted to drop out midway until the O.W.L.s examination is over. So, if anyone is undecided, I advise against joining with a 'just trying it out' attitude. Even if you bring Professor Dumbledore here, the required coursework must still be completed."
Sherlock's warning before class was very clear, which made all the students below tense up.
Their studies during the first four years at Hogwarts had not been particularly arduous. In this Castle, the only ones who could truly be called hardworking were the seven professors of the main courses; the students' academic fatigue was completely incomparable to theirs.
The relaxed learning atmosphere led them subconsciously to underestimate the upcoming O.W.L.s examination. As newly enrolled fifth-years, they subconsciously believed that this exam was not much different from a normal end-of-term test. (TN: This is just dumb)
Only when the end of the semester approached would some of them realize the importance of the O.W.L.s examination.
The results of the O.W.L.s examination and the Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Test (Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Test) examinations together constitute the diplomas for graduates in the Wizarding World.
Because the Wizarding population itself is small, employment pressure is not very high, and there is essentially no lack of jobs. The diploma examinations implement a grading system rather than an elimination system.
Taking the O.W.L.s examination as an example, as long as a student participates, certificates will be issued for all twelve subjects tested. It's just that the grades on the certificates vary from good to poor.
Even if employment pressure is low in the Wizarding World, jobs with excellent benefits and high social status are not available to every wizard.
For example, civil servants at the Ministry of Magic and specialized Curse Breakers at Gringotts all have high requirements for O.W.L.s and Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Test results.
According to Sherlock's investigation of the recent Wizarding Level Examinations since his arrival at Hogwarts a few days ago, he discovered…
Most of those who achieved good O.W.L.s results were students whose parents were wizards—or, in the language of the Wizarding World, children from pure-blood families. (TN: Muggleborns are said to be more hardworking though. Penelope Clearwater and Hermione come to mind, though I understand what the author tried to convey.)
They possessed a natural magical educational environment, and parents who had been rooted in the Wizarding World for a long time and understood the rules of Wizarding society also placed pressure on them, demanding that they perform well in the O.W.L.s examination.
Consequently, pure-blood families inherently provided better home education than children from Muggle-born families, resulting in far superior examination diplomas for the former. (TN: No kidding)
After entering Wizarding society, they used this advantage to occupy upper-tier positions, which in turn allowed them to provide better and more refined education for their next generation. (TN: This is rather false. Their influence and background plays a bigger role in my opinion.)
Thus forming a cycle.
Students from ordinary Muggle families, on the other hand, had to possess clear self-awareness, self-discipline, and the ability to study independently. Or they had to possess an intense interest in learning magic to potentially surpass the pure-blood students whose starting point was already higher than theirs.
Before coming to Hogwarts, Sherlock had already discovered this phenomenon from the relevant books and materials in the Original Owner's study.
Therefore, the teaching plan targeting the upper years was something he had prepared from the start.
Examination-Oriented Education required arranging class content around the exams, which temporarily concealed his deficiency in understanding advanced spells. At the same time, it allowed competition among upper-year students in the level examinations—at least in the Defence Against the Dark Arts class—to be slightly fairer.
This was also a small obsession for Sherlock, who had, in his previous life, passed through Examination-Oriented Education to enter a higher learning institution. In terms of education, he always hoped things could be fairer.
Sherlock gave the students below ample time to choose, but not a single person raised their hand to say they didn't care about the O.W.L.s examination.
The more a student came from a Wizarding family, the more they understood the importance of the level examinations, and the Muggle-born children were also turning sixteen this semester. They were beginning to realize that they would graduate from Hogwarts in just two short years, and that it was time to plan their future paths.
After confirming that no one raised an objection, Sherlock nodded slightly, then distributed the parchment he had initially placed on the podium.
"Then, starting from this lesson, our Examination-Oriented Education Plan officially begins."
"First, we will conduct a class quiz, allowing me to understand your current level of theoretical knowledge regarding Dark creatures."
Having an exam on the very first day of the semester was something the fifth-year students had never experienced before. And their study life in the Defence Against the Dark Arts class would certainly no longer be as relaxed as before.
In short, during his first week at Hogwarts, Sherlock finalized distinct teaching methods for the lower and upper years.
Since he had taken on the role of Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor, Sherlock was doing his utmost, while ensuring his own safety, to provide the most effective teaching for the students in this Castle.
At the very least, he could live up to the students' address of "Professor Cavendish," couldn't he?