What does "it's a liberal school" mean to you?

[happygardening]

Just that curious really by exactly what people mean by the term liberal school.
Is it no uniform and calling teachers by their first name or is there more to it than that. I take it it's not mixed dorms and sex on the croquet lawn.

Yeah liberalism is great, love it, let's liberally include... Anyone whose parents can pay!

Of course Arnold's notion may and should be challenged in a changed social and political environment and era. That doesn't mean it is necessarily wrong . I've always taught in the state sytem and do not feel the aspiration is ecxlusive to the independent sector. I would be delighted to dicuss its modern meaning and relevance with sixth formers in any sector but I don't feel the notion is so old hat as to be without merit. Ilike it.

Does the idea of a liberal education not go back considerably further than Arnold? Sure, the curricula have to continue to develop, but why would it be old hat or elitist? Neither is it restricted to the independent sector. More I would say to good schools across the world.

A liberal education is one that's driven by the pupil's individual interests, not by the interests of the school and its reputation. Real success in life lies in finding your thing and being helped to pursue it and learning about it and yourself in the process. So Eton do what's required with all the exams nonsense (they don't make their boys overextend themselves) to tick the boxes and get to where it is you want to go (an excellent uni normally) but, crucially, leave sufficient time left over to pursue the boy's thing with a passion. So you get to write a play, direct a play, conduct, debate, paint or whatever the 'thing' is. They are relaxed about the outliers at GCSE and A level (plenty of mediocre grades) because that hasn't been the focus of the education of that particular boy.

Contrast that with Win Coll who are obsessed with their academic reputation. They make their boys sit the Pre U which makes attaining an A* level at A level look easy. Most A levels are a means an end, and not studied for pleasure (sometimes this happens of course). But making the prescriptive part of education more difficult than it needs to be (the Pre U) seems to me to be the opposite of a liberal education. And perhaps it explains why Wykehamists so often end up in life being the bridesmaid and so seldom the bride? Or so often the PPS and so seldom the Govt Minister?

School/an education is about so much more than scoring high grades innit.

MrsJ the Pre u and its merits has been widely commented on by MNetters teachers the press and by those who take it. It is generally considered a more intellectually stimulating exam ( not just by teachers at Winchester) there is nothing more exciting that being truely intellectually challenged.
Winchster is about intellectually challenging its boys but also allowing for a boy to pursue his passion. This week my DS watched a thought provoking and beautifully acted play, played the sport he's passionate about away at another school, went to the art dept in his spare time enabling him to pursue another passion, participated in three other sports and last weekend in an enourmous snow ball fight with the rest of his house. And these are only he things I know about. I see no evidence of only being allowed to study. In fact I know from expereince he did far more this week and all the other weeks he's been thee than others of his age did at their boarding schools.
I do not send my DS to school to become a government minster or the equivilant I send him to school to experience as many things as he can and also to love learning for the sake of it and in my experience as a recent mature student I found that when one is truely intellectually stimulated then learning moved from being the task I found at school to a life enhancing and changing experience I personally couldnt get enough of it I would have cheerfully sat in lectures all day every day. That is what I know my son will find at Winchester. I dont know if that's a liberal education but for me and my DS it's a top quality education.

The stuff about mixed dorms is libertarian rather than liberal, I guess. Cf also bedales and summer hill. It seems like you mean liberal as in liberal humanism here?

HappyGardening - ha! At the idea of a boy being excited by his school exams. Really?

TheOrignalSteamingNit - Agree. Libertarian = the Big Society and personal sovereignty, liberal = the state doing what you want to be free to choose not to do.

I didn't say a boy would be excited by exams but should be excited by the depth and breadth of the curriculum in the subjects hes choosen to study. You may see A levels/pre u as a means to an end but I see that as part of learning and understanding about a subjects that hopefully one feels passionate about. With your view then why isn't university a means to an end as well why does it stop at A level particularly if you carry on studying one of your A levels at under graduate level? Of course exams are not enjoyable although I personally found the intense level of study required of my degree subject for my exams at uni very enjoyable. Also at least with the Pre U it's one group of exams at the end of a two year course rather than AS exams and then retake AS exams and then A level exams. Leaving plenty of opportunities for those who want it to follow their "passion!"