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One important feature of private education in Britain has been boarding. The traditional preparatory school was a boarding school. This was because the purpose of a prep school was to prepare the younger boys for public school life and the public schools were boarding schools. As a result, many prep schools were founded in remote rural locations. Here properties could be built inexpesively to set up boarding schools for the younger children.Boarding composed an important feature of the classic prep and public school experience. It was widely seen as beneficial to board even younger boys. We have no information on boarding schools in clasical times. Some information is available on boarding school durng the Christian era. Boys wee educated at the monastaries which appeared throughout Britain. The purpose was to train choristers and future priests. The Pope instructed Benedictine monasteries (such as Westminster) to open charity schools. As towns grew in the late medieval era, grammar schools were established. Many of these schools were founded by royal charter and the bequests of weklthy benefactors. Many of the children lived in the towns, but children attended from the surrounding area. Ar first there were no boarding facilities, but schools gradually added such facilities to regularize the conduct of the boys. Many grammar schools evolved into fee paying public schools. This was a natural evolution because the schools had to finance their operation. There were no state financing for schools at the time. And eventually many public schools turned over the cre of the younger boys to preparatory schools. Britain has some of the best known boarding schools in the world. Boarding has probably played a greater role in Britih education than that of any other country. There are, however, many other countries which also have boarding schools.
One important feature of private education in Britain has been boarding. The traditional preparatory school was a boarding school. This was because the purpose of a prep school was to prepare the younger boys for public school life and the public schools were boarding schools. As a result, many prep schools were founded in remote rural locations. Here properties could be built inexpesively to set up boarding schools for the younger children.Boarding composed an important feature of the classic prep and public school experience. It was widely seen as beneficial to board younger boys. Generally this began at 7 or 8 years of age, although younger boys might board, depending on family circumstances. An older brother was also a factor. Over time 8 years of age became the standard time to begin prep school.
This convention was less accepted for girls. Thus the educational experience for well to do boys in Britain was very different than that of the less affluent children attending state schools.
We have no information on boarding schools in clasical times. Some information is available on boarding school durng the Christian era. Boys wee educated at the monastaries which appeared throughout Britain. The purpose was to train choristers and future priests. The Pope instructed Benedictine monasteries (such as Westminster) to open charity schools. As towns grew in the late medieval era, grammar schools were established. Many of these schools were founded by royal charter and the bequests of weklthy benefactors. Many of the children lived in the towns, but children attended from the surrounding area. Ar first there were no boarding facilities, but schools gradually added such facilities to regularize the conduct of the boys.
Many grammar schools evolved into fee paying public schools. This was a natural evolution because the schools had to finance their operation. There were no state financing for schools at the time. Boarding became the norm for these schools. There were several reasons for this. The schools used the universities like Oxford and Cambridges as models and students at the universities boarded. Most students lived beyond walking distance of the school. Thus boarding was the most practical approach for the children's eduction. Greadually boading began to be seen as not just a convenience, but an important part of the educational program itself. The impact of boarding was to support the class structure in Britain. Only affluent families could afford the school fees. Thus children of relatively similar curcumstance attended the schools, intensifying and reinforcing class attitudes. Interestingly, the aristocrativ and really wealthy families did not send their children to the public schools, they were rather rough places, in somes cases even dangerous for younger children. Only after reforms at the school and changing attitudes in Britain that artistocratic families in the late 19th century began sending their children to these boarding schools. (Until this time, wealthy children were educated at home by tutors.) This process can be observed in the Royal Family when Prince Edward and Prince George were sent to the Poyal Naval Training School at Osbourne--quite a shock for the boys. The purpose of the prep scools was to prepare younger boys so they were not shocked like this when they entered their public schools. (Osbourne of course was not a public schools, but the princes entered Osbourne at the age that many other British boys were entering their public schools.)
While the traditional prep sxhools were boarding schools, day schools alo appeared as well in the major cities. At first the day schools were rather looked down on because boarding was seen as an integral part of the prep and public school program. As the senior schools were also priparily boarding school, it was seen that boarding was part of the prpgram of preparing the children for their public schools. In recent years, attitudes toward day schools have changed. At first the primary issue was cost. Boarding schools were much more expensive than day scgools because of the cost of custodial care. In recent years the issue has becoming chnging attitudes toward bparding yonger children. Thus today day schools are a much more important part of the prep school community.
Britain has some of the best known boarding schools in the world. Boarding has probably played a greater role in Britih education than that of any other country. There are, however, many other countries which also have boarding schools. Australia as a former British colony has quite a number of boarding schools organized along the lines of British prep and public schools. Cuba abolished private schools, a common step in Communist countries. The Cuba Government has opened secondary boarding schools for youths. Several of these schools are located on the Isle of Pines which was renamed the Island of Youth. France has a number of boarding schools. Most are Catholic schools, in part a reaction to the secularization of French education. Germany developed one of the most impressive state school systems. In part because of the sandards of state education, private schools including private boarding schools were never very important in Germany. The NAZIs during the Third Reich opened Party boarding schools to train future leaders. New Zealand as a former British colony also has quite a number of boarding schools organized along the lines of British prep and public schools. A number of state schools have added boarding houses. This is only done at the secondary level and reflects the isolation of some families in remote locations that makes daily comunting to school inpractical. Many of these state boarding schools are the more traditional single-gender state schools, whose have organizations ethos' based on the English public schools. Switzerland has a number of private boarding schools. This in part reflects a policy developed by the Swiss Givernment. In pat boarding schools were needed because there were no secondary schools available for children living in remote mountain villages. The Government pronoted the establishment of schools for foreign students as a valuable economic activity. The linguistic diversity and stability of Switzerland was an assett in attracting foreign students. The United States has a more diverse system of boarding education. Many of the most prestigious American boarding schools were organized along the lines of Brirish schools. Boarding younger prep scool age children never became as popular in Anerica as in Britain. While the British system was influential, America boarding education developed its own unique nature. A major component of boarding education was the appearance of many military school, especially after the Civil War. These were all private schools. The U.S. Government did establish boarding schools for Native American children.
