Figure 1.--Most prep schools have an extensive games (sports) program. Even so many children, escpecially the older boys, often use some of their free time for informal games or practice. This boy is preparing for a little batting practice. |
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We noticed quite a wide range of different activities underway at the many different schools we visited. Some were virtually universal. Many were widely shared, and a few were specific to individual schhols. This simuilarity is of course because the shared interests of children of this age group. The differences ofte represent the interests and abilities of the staff which at most school is a relatively small group of individuals.
Schools vary enormously in the activities offered and the approach to those activities. Some schools are predominately games oriented. At these schools the children are encouraged to devOte the great bulk of there spare time to games. The activities offered to the children are, in part, limited by the interests and background of the staff and thus at small schools vary significantly from year to year. Succesful programs in activities from railroading to bird watching often depend on a staff member who has a particular interest. The facilities at the school also deterine, in part, the activities offered.
The major non-academic activity at most schools is games (sports) . Many children especially the boys devote a substantial part of their free time to sports practice. Games are generally a compulsory part of the school program, although most schools make provision for those children with non athletic abilities. The interest of the masters and boys convey considerable prestige to success in the three major games, rugby, football, and cricket. The importance of games has declined somewhat in recent years, in part due to the great expansion in non-academic. activities available to the children. While games are still popular with most children, a large range of other activities is now open to the children. The expanded role of coeducation is also impacting the games program. While girls are becoming increasingly involved in sports, it is fair to say that they are generally not as consumed with sports as many boys. Thus the schools have had to expand their activities program to accomodate the interests of their girls . For details on the sports program, see "Games".
One should not get the impression that the schools schedule every lat minute for organized activities. Schools understand, as explained at Moffats, that small children need time meerly to 'stand and stare' and to follow their private fancies." So all ~ schools provide some free times. An' important part of childhood is unspervised play where children can use creativity and imagination to explore their world in ways that adults can not really fathom. Many schools have ample grounds and woods perfectly suited for the children to make tree houses or dens--a specially popular activity with the younger boys. Prep school age children delight in this activity, for many it is their favorite activity. Other schools have lakes where the children can sail and canoe or make rafts of varying bouancy. Their free time gives the children the opportunity to make and enjoy friendships.
Schools, especially boarding schools, have a variety of special activities for saturday and sunday evenings as well as various weeknight evenings. Commonly films are shown saturday evening, but they are a wide variety of other activities at different schools. At St. Richard's a senior boy gives a lecture saturday evenings and debates are often conducted sunday evening. There are also many special, often seasonal, events.
Most schools sponsor expeditions or field trips. These are especially important at boarding schools to provide a variety of school-sponsored activities. The activities vary widely from school to school, but often include canal barges, camping, climbing/mountaneering, cycling, hiking, orientiering, and a variety of visits to local places of interest (battle sites, castles, cathedrals, country homes, landmarks, museums, parks, ports, Romamn ruins, zoos, and a variety of other sites afforded by England's rich historical experience) . Most schools offer some sort of trip to the continent, often to France focusing on a variety of cultural activites or Austria, Italy, or Switzerland for sking expecutions. Most schools offers a range of expeditions. Northcliffe, for example, in the southwest, offers activities such as canal barge trips on the Grand Canal; camping at Chichester, Sidmouth, and Stratfield Saye; mountaineering in Snowdonia; riding in New Forest; canoeing at Botley; and cycling in Dorset. Other schools offer a similar range of expeditions i'n their areas. The children also attend concerts, exhibitions, sporting events, and theater performances. Most schools plan an educational cruise or other trip, often to the Continent--usually France, to give the older children a chance to see a foreign country and try out their French, often with considerable success. Many Of these trips are skiing expenitions, others focus an the mounments and museums of Paris. Some schools plan even more adventuresome trips, such as a classical trip to Italy and Greece. Some school organize "outward bound" experiences for the children. Streete Court, for example, participates in an outward bound program on Alderney (Channel Island) each year.
One especially interesting observation is that in the cradle of modern Western democracy, prep schoolsake a rather authoitarian approach to student government. The officers (prefects and head boy) at a prep school are appointed rather than elected.
One important activity at American schools is student government. It is an interesting difference between a British and American preparatory school. Considerable empasis is given to student government in American schools and the children theoretically learn the principals of democratic elections by electing their own student body president and other officers. At some Northeastern schools most influenced by British forms the officers may be called prefects, but almost always they are elected by the student body.
Most English prep schools have no similar activity, althogh a few, such as Beeston Hall, do have an elected council. The headmaster and teachers do select a head boy/girl and prefects. Some schools have different names for them. Beachborough, for example, calls them captains. Whatever the term, these students generally serve to give the older children experience in leadership by assisting the masters in enforcing the school rules. At modern schools the authority of the student prefects is much reduced, but esentially serve the same purpose. I remember one master counseling a newly appointed prefect who was barking orders to junior boys filing into an auditorium about how to better lead them to their seats. Such an experience differs sharply from American schools where student government is basically designed to provide a forum for expressing student views to the school administration.
Debating is a strong tradition at British schools, especially private schools. Many prep schools strongly encourage debate. This varies from school to school, but many schools consider it an important activity. Here the traditions of the senior schools where the children will be attended is an important influence. Debates is often an important activity at many public schools. It alsd provides opprtunities in public speaking and logic as well as utilizing information addressed in history and other classes. Some schhols promote debates as part of class units, other as an extra-curicular activity. Many schools especially promote debate programs in the winter months when outside activities are often limited. The children debate a variety of political and social issues as well as a variety of schhol issues such as compulsory games, abolishing games and whether girls should have been let in the school. Such issues often precuipitate animated discussions among the boys and girls. Sometimes the staff also participate to enliven the debate or provide ballance.
