To think that Eton is being a bit cynical in offering to share some of its sports facilities with the local state academy?

[Shinyshoegirl]

Today's paper reports that Eton is offering free use of some of its 27 cricket pitches and its Olympic standard rowing lake to a local state school. Surely if they were really concerned about helping educational achievement for all they might consider sharing some of their teaching resources instead? I've nothing against cricket and rowing, but it seems like a token gesture towards their charitable responsibilities. Or am I being unreasonably cynical?

why the hell should they? It's a school, and a business.

They don't actually have charitable responsibilities, do they? If they do, they are being hypocritical considering they are training their boys to trample on everyone in their path.

I take it the state school has its own teachers, but probably no rowing lake or cricket pitches.

My old school let the next door state school use our swimming pool, theatre and tennis courts for afterschool activities at no charge.

YAB extremely U.

Private schools now have to undertake a huge amount of charitable work in order to keep their charitable status. This means offering more scholarships and bursaries and opening their facilities to state school students etc

They are simply doing what the government have forced them into to ensure that they don't lose their charitable status and therefore have to stick a a massive amount onto their fees.

Well, private schools are all being obliged to show 'public benefit' as part of their charitable status. So a private school near us hires out its sports and art facilities and its concert hall, has its students carry out various community projects (volunteering in different capacities) and also runs classes for selected children at primary school in the neighbouring boroughs. I'm sure there is an element of tokenism in these acts, but I guess you've got to start somewhere.

The only old Etonians I've known personally must have been poorly trained, as they were both charming, mild-mannered and self-deprecating.

Do you think the teachers are better at Eton then? Is that what you mean?

Any business that ISN'T cynical, isn't doing it's job properly.

There doesn't seem to be anyone losing out here, so I don't see a problem.

What would you like them to do instead? Open their classes for free to all the state school pupils? Send their teachers into the local state school - that would have to start from an assumption that they would be better at teaching in a state school than a teacher who is used to it, which I don't think is likely tbh.

Do you also think that hairdressers should make their facilities available for free to anyone who can't afford it, or greengrocers?

Sounds like a good idea to me. And actually sporting facilites like that are often one of the things it's most difficult for state schools to access.

"why the hell should they? It's a school, and a business.

They don't actually have charitable responsibilities, do they? "

Yes they do !

Really?

Yes, that is why they have charitable status.

I suppose they are damned if they do and damned if they don't (government rules aside)....

yanbu they should realsie their hypocrisy and withdraw the offer. in which case i'm sure you'll start a new thread praising their avctions.
ffs some people will really try their best to find something to complain about,in this case a private school offering the use of their facilities to another school.

They do have a responsibility to justify their charitable status - but I don't think anyone asks them to show that they are working towards "educational achievement for all", just that they are providing something to the greater good.

Providing sporting facilities to those who don't have them is a good thing, so is fair game as evidence of their "charitable" nature.

So are bursaries and scholarships, if it means that they are helping some people who would otherwise not get this opportunity.

I don't think Eton is being cynical.

Independent schools were threatened by the govt. last year with losing their charitable status (ie they would get a vast annual bill) unless they contributed a large amount of money to their local community.

The govt eventually withdrew the threat (turned out to be illegal, I think) but, as a response, many schools that could afford it increased the charity work/cash they produced already.

Now a lot of top independent schools work with other local schools, sharing facilities and hosting joint events.

The rowing lake is not owned by Eton. It was a joint project with the local authority and as such it is a public facility.

It's not new though, is it? I think Eton has been offering use of its facilities for ages.

YABU.

Good for them.

YABU

eton offer quite a number of bursaries and are well renowned for being good with that sort of thing

oh blimey thought this said elton and was thinking he was going to let the local oiks run around watford football stadium

They're doing it so they don't lose charitable status. It's the reason all private schools do it.

It's to fulfill the public benefit definition of charity, but also think that Eton does have a tradition of being public spirited.

Ds's school doesn't have charitable status but does have fab facilities including a huge sports hall. Unfortunately the community cannot benefit from using the hall at evenings and weekends as a restriction was placed on it as a condition of granting planning permission. Seems mad to me.

Eton does do a lot in the community and has always done so.

To OP - could you do a link to the article?