Eton College apologises after allegations pupils jeered visiting state schoolgirls

[sunnydaytoday0]

If true, why has no one been expelled?

www.theguardian.com/education/2022/nov/18/eton-college-apologises-after-allegations-pupils-jeered-visiting-state-schoolgirls

Private school sanctions a number of boys after investigation into misogynistic language and racial slurs.

Eton College has apologised and “sanctioned” a number of pupils after allegations that a group of girls visiting from a nearby state school were subjected to misogynistic language, racial slurs and jeering.

The boys’ private school near Windsor, Berkshire, told the BBC that an investigation took place into the incident which occurred during a speech by Nigel Farage last week.

A person, who said they were a parent of one of the girls who attended the speech, wrote on social media anonymously that the students were booed inside the lecture theatre and were subjected to “racial slurs” and “generally misogynistic comments”. They said of the private school pupils: “Their behaviour was awful.”
The poster also said that Eton boys had cheered Farage’s “worst comments on migrants and Covid”.

The college told the BBC it had apologised “unreservedly” for the “totally unacceptable” behaviour.

Children are children for a very short time, no point wasting time fighting battles you can't win.

That's true but we should always make clear what we consider to be wrong or unjust, even though we at some point take measures along the lines you have outlined above.

I believe in the same standards for everybody - then we have true meaningful equality.

@walkinginsunshinekat

Still democratically elected. i still stand by his right to have a platform.

Tony Blair in my view is a war criminal. I still would defend his right to have a platform at a school .

@walkinginsunshinekat Perhaps again it is my failing to not explain myself well.

It is absolutely unacceptable and abhorrent that girls were subjected to racist and misogynistic abuse. They are the obvious victims in this.

I reject the notion of broad sweeping derogatory statements about minors who go to a school based on the actions of a handful of very badly behaved boys.

I reject completely that the mob was cheering on Farage or that it was more than a handful of boys being very stupid.

I am sure most of the boys would have been absolutely mortified like most boys would be.

Fair comment, though with a new video of Etonians protesting about the closure of their Beagle fox hunting pack and allegation's of illegal hunting, not entirely sure it was a handful of boys, we will see.

Def Farage should have a platform but to school children with no opposing view at the time, i'm not sure that is wise.

the stories the family have told us about what goes on there is mind blowing.

And yet this family decided to carry on sending 4 boys in succession and then keep them there for A-levels when they definitely didn't have to. That tells you quite a lot.

@walkinginsunshinekat in retrospect, a disastrous decision.

@walkinginsunshinekat FWIW if they were doing anything illegal eg hunting hares etc then that is really shocking. But I don't think it was ever proven

The fact that they protested against the potential closure of their Hunting Society doesn't bother me. That is not illegal in itself.

Most younger people i know are appalled any one would go hunting, drag or otherwise.

They don't like the use of the whip or how the dogs are kept and then PTS when retired.

I think it says something about Eton that they a: have a hunt and b: want to keep it - my local comp hasn't a hunt, has yours?

@walkinginsunshinekat no, but my local comp doesn't have its roots in the upper class..

Why does it bother people so much if they are not doing anything illegal? There are legal forms of hunting aren't there now.

And please don't tell me it is about animal welfare. Anyone who sits at a table in a restaurant eating factory farmer meat is party to torturing animals for their own enjoyment.

But talking about tortured chickens and drinking milk by torture is not as fashionable as criticising posh children.

Eton aren't even partaking in blood sport, but the very notion that they have a hunting society is so irksome isn't it ..

This irrational anger against anything upper class to me seems like inverse snobbery to me.

"MuraRocker
I watched him on some show talking about Brexit. I'd have to find it. I didn't vote Brexit myself but I was interested to watch. He actually came across as quite reasonable, logical and pleasant. Not at all what I had expected tbh. I'll see if I can find it and post it up, it was some time ago.

Is there any reasonable, logical and pleasant way of saying that lifeboats should not go out for immigrants in difficulties in the Channel? I mean, he is basically saying that it's fine to let immigrants drown."

@LaGioconda - I think this as well but I like to keep an open mind - although I cannot imagine agreeing with him I am interested to see what he could say that would make someone who previously believed he was a vile and disgusting human being that he was in fact interesting and reasonable

Thank you.

@duckbilly No snobbery, more that i think that as Eton turns out so many young men who go on to lead us, in various sectors, maybe it would be better if they were a little more grounded in "normal" lives?

Which of course is ironic as this brings us back to the original point, these school children were (one reason) there to see how Eton functions and also to show Etonians them a bit more normal life.

I doubt either side has altered each others opinions on the other and thats a crying shame.

Factory farming and animal cruelty is beyond the scope of this thread.

@duckbilly The Eton pack kept getting caught illegally hunting hence why it is being phased out. There was a whole thread on this at the time. You can't have school children breaking the law and getting caught on camera by hunt protestors. Glad to say my Godson isn't a member of that society, he is very anti.

In terms of comparing it to farming, like it or not, the conditions for factory farmed meat are legal, as is the way they are put to death. Fox hunting with more than a couple of dogs is not. Hare coursing is definitely not!

@walkinginsunshinekat I agree with you .

I have enjoyed this discussion. Thank you - genuinely.

@mrBanks in that case that is dreadful. They should be strongly punished if found to be doing anything illegal.

There are certain hunting activities that are legal and I personally don't have a problem if Eton boys want to take part in those activities.

Like wise, differing POVs but without the vitriol that normal characterises these sort of things

@walkinginsunshinekat 🍷

This looks like a positive development with the Charity Commission investigating @duckbilly
www.thirdsector.co.uk/charity-commission-monitoring-eton-college-pupils-behaviour/governance/article/1805965

@mrBanks it does. The only way.

Sorry I don't have a share token for this, but I think the sentiment is true. Not just Eton boys that behave badly, this sort of behaviour is rampant at so many public schools.

www.telegraph.co.uk/columnists/2022/11/26/another-week-another-eton-mess-boys-public-schools-can-just/

I do wonder whether Eton pupil recruitment has taken a hit after political events of the last few years. They can hardly boast about the Prime Ministers they turn out after Johnson and Cameron, and should be thoroughly ashamed of producing Rees-Mogg.

I hope so. It's a shit school that's incapable of teaching even the most basic manners nevermind the concepts of integrity and responsibility.

Its a posh "Boys Home" for rich kids whose parents don't give a shit about them. The place needs investigation and closed down.

It is an example of the mob mentality at work. Eton surely like so many such schools covers up so much! This is the tip of the iceberg. Eton has a superb history and does a lot to support less wealthy schools in the area so it is not all a case of bad news. However, the behaviour highlighted in this story pales into insignificance compared with the violence and crime in London enriched schools and neighbourhoods