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.

Jeremy Hunt estimated 90,000 children would move. Good - the parent power that could come with this would be very helpful for some state school.

I used to be involved in a summer sports activity that ran weekly courses. It was in an area which has several elite public schools plus people who live locally and send their kids to Eton etc.

The absolute worst week I ever worked there was a week before the state schools broke up. I think we actually had a couple of Etonians and kids from the feeder prep schools. The bullying was off the scale. Boys stealing lunches and then while they were being told off, their friends would be bullying the victim. There was even an attempt at strangling. Never again! Those schools may have great facilities, opportunities and networks but I would never want my children to behave how those boys did. And the shock they had that we actually pulled them up on it and called their parents to pick them up.

Boys are being failed by society at many levels. Whether they are Eton or rough inner city comps.

I’m not particularly obsessed with Eton. I am really concerned that we need to change our approach generally with boys. We are failing them.

They mature more slowly than girls. Their frontal lobes aren’t fully developed till 25 but they get a jolt of testosterone at 14. They need structure, support, nurturing and guidance.

Given the zeitgeist, we aren’t having the conversations that we need to.

@Roomytrouser these are children you know, good to see you are so intent on closing their schools and forcing a change of school through legislation. How would you feel if your DC were forced to move in this way. The ugly sneering left are despicable.

Absolutely agree Empress. Our society is currently failing boys and it’s our girls paying the price. See the other heartbreaking thread where the posters lovely academic Dd and her friend pelted with bottles and grim sexual slurs by boys. The lunatics have taken over the asylum the adults need to get back in charge. Young men need firm tough handling and decent role models not Andrew fucking Tate and internet porn.

The Eton thing is a red herring just the school has a higher profile. Actually makes it more depressing that those from the most privileged backgrounds also behave like this. Shows how utterly prevalent it is. And yes my girls in a single sex school no accident.

I do agree that it's part of a wider societal problem. This just illustrates that the education on offer at Eton is no better than what is on offer anywhere else. They have chosen not to make moral education a priority. I guess it isn't what the parents are paying for.

The thing about Etonians is their calculation about you - you can literally see them calculate what manners you should receive. If you are the right sort of person, you get manners and courtesy. If you are not, then you get put in your place.

That is how it is for them, btw. Each boy graded by the society of his peers. Is he poor, is he on a scholarship, is he white, status of parents etc

You can still see it in Conservative circles today. It is very old fashioned. But it is absolutely a thing.

From Eton's webpage titled 'Our Purpose':

Eton is committed to an ethos which:

1. encourages creativity, individuality, innovation and enjoyment through a broad vision of education based on wide-ranging academic and co-curricular opportunities;
2. enables boys to develop a strong understanding of themselves and their capabilities, while also empathising with others through a genuine appreciation for different people, different perspectives and different cultures;
3. develops enquiring minds and fosters a life-long appreciation of independent thinking and learning;
4. develops physical and mental health, emotional maturity and spiritual richness;
5. nurtures the value of leadership and service;
6. celebrates kindness, loyalty, gratitude, integrity and determination.

Yes Alex. My friends very grand high Tory father asked Dh if he “had any ancestors” which we found hilarious! Dh presents as quite posh but totally isn’t - though he didn’t spring fully formed from the earth either!

😂😂😂
I hope he said 'yes'.

I would never send my children to a school like Eton. Wish I could send them to school in Finland though.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-49825925

As Americans say...culture eats strategy for breakfast

Warm words - easy to say

And the people of Dudley, Middlesbrough and Oldham are expected to fall on their knees in gratitude at the news that these people want to open sixth forms in their towns.

You make a lot of assumptions Wigywhoo

Not surprised. Attended a private school myself, as an older teenager, some of the most entitled, racist and arrogant males I’ve come across in my life were students there. The schoolhead ruled with an iron fist and luckily for me, I was one of her favorite students so bullying me was something they didn’t dare, but one Black student from
a family without a lot of money was driven away by the bullies. One of them was eventually expelled and daddy paid to get him to another private school somewhere in Switzerland. That’s the issue, whenever they cause problems, mummy and daddy’s money or/ and their connections will solve the issue easily snd discreetly and they know it so they feel free to step on anyone they perceive as ‘less’.

Not surprised at all - we're Irish and one of my DCs went to a very well known public school (on full bursary) and was mocked mercilessly for being poor, nicknamed Paddy and 'IRA' and had potatoes thrown at him. Non-white and non-English kids were also subject to horrific racism. He lasted a year.

"We are all in it together" in this day n age, there is no justification to subsidise the wealthiest with cheaper schooling costs.
Other tax payers, who cannot afford private education are making good the shortfall.

Private schools are businesses, not charities, they charge commercial fee's, if their turnover is above the VAT TH, then VAT must be charged.

I'm sure we'd all love to avoid paying vat on a whole raft of goods but we can't and neither should parents who send their kids to private schools.

School fees have risen way above inflation in recent years, yet they are as popular as ever, no movement to the state sector at all.

@walkinginsunshinekat - we already pay for education twice! They will have to add VAT to uni fees too if they do this.

err why?

University Education is for the long term good of the nation e.g gives the UK highly qualified nurses and other healthcare staff, engineers & scientists etc plus fee's are paid back with quite high interest rates applied.

Private schools provide no real social good other than in the rare circumstance of disability etc & apart from for the very rich to stick together, they have no real purpose, a throw back from the past.

No reason to ban them but they need to stand on their own two feet, instead of expecting Govt subsidy.

Anyway, we are diverging from the thread, which is Eton provides the country with an endless supply of entitled twats.

Such a shame to talk about children in this way! They are not all "entitled twats". Probably a couple of boys being stupid which can happen AT ANY SCHOOL

@wigywhoo is likely correct. If the law is changed so that education is no longer VAT exempt, that opens the door to VAT being added to Uni fees, private tuition fees, driving lessons, children's sports clubs, holiday childcare clubs, vocational courses, the list is endless and it could well be the start of a slippery slope.

As for the tax payer subsidising my DC's school fees, I cannot agree with this. I pay the 60% marginal rate of tax on part of my income, and am a higher rate tax payer. I'm firmly a net contributor, paying for state school places I don't use. I pay more than my fair share of tax - arguably subsidising CoL payments, triple lock uplifts and the like, which is as it should be. Personally, I won't pay VAT on school fees, I'll pay the fees up front the day Labour get in so I won't have to, but there are many parents who won't be able to. Anecdotally, around a third of DC at my children's private school will leave - that's about 400 places our LA will need to find at short notice and that's just from one private from about 3 in the area. They simply won't be able to absorb them.

Firstly Farage is not the national Front. He is a mainstream politician.secondly he was called allsorts because he raised the issue of dinghies in the channel long before anyone else. Now everyone is talking about it!
Thirdly nonplatforrming is much more dangerous than any speaker

I love that you can't see the irony of #2. That's EXACTLY why he's dangerous and just like the NF.

And #3? I don't get invited to speak at Elton. I speak at conferences and am an expert in my field. Am I being 'no-platformed'? You don't have to invite every Tom, Dick and Harry just because they have a big mouth and good PR. Just invite some people who aren't racist ignorami.