Chapter 370 – Reform Ⅲ

With a wide number of whispers dying back down again, Minister of Magic Jenkins steadily continued, "Not only will this proposed initiative solve the Ministry of Magic's urgent need for departmental staffing but offer more wizards and witches of our communities' positions of employment within the Ministry of Magic which will ensure that stronger bonds will be forged between the public and the Ministry."

There is a vast amount of head nodding in approval of the proposal among the crowd, but Minister Jenkins had yet to announce the trickiest part yet. "In addition to the adult Education reform, there is a clause regarding our children." All positive expressions suddenly grow hard and wary at the words of the Minister of Magic.

"For the first time in history, we have an incredibly high number of children and youths, who were not able to attend Hogwarts due to their previously cursed affliction," Minister Jenkins matter-of-factly stated.

"As the Minister of Magic, I cannot ignore the plight of our children and of this future generation that has not been permitted to enter Hogwarts for the best of reasons, I understand. Notwithstanding these good intentions, these children and youths were denied an education and as the incumbent Minister of Magic, I cannot ignore their plight. As such, I advise that there be an education provision that is to be immediately implanted no later than the start of the new year, but officially education will not comment until the start of August of the next year on the last week before the Hogwarts term begins."

Seeing the suddenly puzzled expressions, Minister Jenkins further explains, "In addition, I suggest the following two clauses, the first being that the formerly afflicted children up to fifteen years of age be permitted to attend Hogwarts. All youths above the age of sixteen and older are more than welcome to apply for the offered Ministry of Magic's Adult Education program.

That being said, please allow me to further explain in detail my last statement. Next year, first years at Hogwarts will constitute a regular elven-year-old student and a transfer child of the age of twelve. The second-year students will be compromised of same-year students with transfer students ages thirteen and fourteen. And lastly, third years will be compromised of the same year students with transfer students aged fifteen.

This is the largest number of students Hogwarts will be capable of handling at a time. And it is impossible to ask for more from the Professors unless the Hogwarts Board approves the hiring of more professors. However, the Hogwarts Board is severely constrained in its actions as such, this is the present limit and capacity of what can be accomplished."

Minister Jenkins takes a pause for a breath, before moving on. "That being said, we finally come to the last clause. These transfer children that are proposed to enter Hogwarts at the start of the next year's school term must receive a basic education and basic skills in under to catch up to their same-year mates as best as they can. And as long as said potential Hogwarts students register for education, there will be a leeway on underage magic to allow said transfer students the ability to catch up with their same-year peers."

"Therefore, in addition, it is strongly recommended that there be created a primary education in junction for all wizarding children. There are already delegates in mind to fill this incredibly important role, which are our formerly afflicted. For among them, there is a wide variety of professionals with the skills to educate our children in the basics of magic, but also to educate them in regard to reading and other such subjects."

There are nods of approval among the more progressive members of society, while others simply don't care. They could afford tutors for their own children and certainly wouldn't be sending their children to mingle with the riffraff. They had standards to think of after all.

Seeing the tension slowly bleeding out of the courtroom, Minister Jenkins sighed privately to herself but did not show the vehement relief on her face. "Returning to the education topic in conjunction, I propose that four primary education schools be created, one in Ireland, one in Scotland, one in Wales, and one in Britain. These primary schools will begin a child's education at the same time muggle's do at the age of five in order to better create the illusion of being a regular school."

There is a wide nodding of approval on many faces as a constant complaint from regular wizarding folk is that children were often homeschooled and not always taught at the same level as others. With a uniform education system in place, it would make everything much more streamlined than before. But also, possibly allow both parents to enter the working class rather than being a single-parent working household.

Minister Jenkins allowed the crowd to digest her proposal as she knew that the trickiest part was yet to come. "I also wish to propose a provision to the International Statue of Wizarding Secrecy," Minister Jenkins steadfastly proclaimed with a determined expression on her face as loud gasps fill the courtroom, and the air grew taut and still.

Seeing the darkened expressions, Minister Jenkins remains calm. "The reason I request such a provision is that among the influx of those formerly cursed is a wide number of muggles." There are a number of startled expressions at her proposal.

"These individuals are all muggles, who due to their former cursed condition had been unable to live among their own kind, muggles, and forced to live on the fringes of both societies," Minister Jenkins quickly explained.

"Please understand I am not requesting that the International Statue of Wizarding Secrecy be removed or changed, but rather be adapted to include these unfortunate souls," Minister Jenkins explained. "Their affliction was a magical one and thereby no fault of their own. That being said, these individuals have adapted to both the wizarding and muggle world alike, and still retain the animagus ability to transform into wolves at will after the cure was given to them. As such, I wish to propose that they be included in the wizarding world as individuals being the equivalent of our squibs, classified as muquibs."

"Our muquibs will be responsible for teaching our children muggle culture in order to enable wizarding kind to better adapt when walking around muggle society," Minister Jenkins smoothly said despite the distaste on several faces.

"That not being all, our muquibs are educated in a wide variety of subjects not including geography, arithmetic, but other subjects such as languages as such to ensure a proper education for our children. They will also be in place to better provide a public face to muggle communities on behalf of the school should the need arise," Minister Jenkins decisively said. "We will also have wizarding teachers from our formerly cursed, who will common subjects such as Latin and other subjects of importance. Not to mention wizarding tradition and culture. We do not wish for our children to forget their magical roots."

Taking advantage of her current momentum, Minister Jenkins adds, "Uniforms will be required for the children, but as muggle children also wear uniforms there should be no questions asked. However, robes will be prohibited until their last year, before being enrolled at Hogwarts. It will be a sacred rite of passage and accustom our children to wearing robes prior to attending Hogwarts. However, for our squibs and muquibs, they will continue their education at said intuitions until they are adults."

"That being said, the mode of transportation for our children is already in the works. Various members of the transportation department have already agreed to work with our muquibs to create vehicles similar to their School Buses. These vehicles will work similarly to our Knight Bus to pick up children at designated pick-up points and transport them to the school and back each day to be driven by squibs or muquibs," Minister Jenkins firmly said squishing any notion that such an education feat may not be possible.

"In addition, the Office of Misuse of Muggle Artefacts will be expanded. Seeing as the next generation of our wizarding children will be educated to understand muggles to an extent, there is sure to see a rise in the misuse of muggle artifacts. I am proud to announce that several of our muquibs will be employed here aiding and explaining the use and mysteries of muggle artifacts. That and that our Muquibs be allowed to also join our muggles liaisons department to better and further our current relationship," Minister Jenkins rather steadfastly declared.

Bowing to the Wizengamot, Minister Jenkins sincerely says, "I ask that the Wizengamot carefully consider the laws and reformations which I have requested. I cannot change what has happened in the past, but I do wish to use the resources that we have at hand to better our future. A future, where our children are at peace with muggles and we are safe and certain in the traditions of our forefathers knowing that they will be protected as we adapt to this everchanging world."

There is a whisper of murmurs that breaks out the moment the Minister of Magic is speaking. Reporters can't write enough about the reactions in the crowd and the words of the Minister of Magic. Either way, the smell of progress was in there and it was the Wizengamot's turn to question and argue against any motion that they did not deem correct.