Figure 1.--One of the benefits of boarding is the greater opportunity to persue activities and interests. Many boys enjoy the opportunites to persue sports. The modern prep school, however, offers many other activities as well, such as music. |
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Most early prep schools were founded as boarding schools. Boarding was seen as an important part of the overall educational program. This was not based on any real educational analysis of the needs of prep-school age children. Rather because the primary purpose of the schools was to care for younger children destined for the public schools, which were mostly boarding schools, the prep schools defacto were largely organized as bording schools. In addition, most early headmasters set out to recreate a public school on a small scale, agian the natural tendency was to follow the boarding approach of the public schools. Day schools were also created in the larger cities, but they generally did not have the same cachet as the boarding schools. Some boarding schools accepted a few day boys, but often the location of the schools limited the numbers. Other schools decided not to accept day children, seeing it as an uneeded complication or even distrupting the operations of the school. For many children, especially the younger children, boarding was an unpleasant experience. Sone adjusted better than others. The boarding orinentation largely continued until after World War II. By the 1960s parental attitudes began to change. Many parents, especially mothers began to reconsider the almost automatic decession to board younger children. As a result, most boarding schools have either accept an increasing number of day children and devised more flexible boarding arrangements. In addtion improved transportation, especially personal cars has meant that parental visits to school and flexible boarding is now far more acceptasble. In addition, the changing character of the schools has meant that boarding has become a more humane experience for the children than was formely the case.
Most early prep schools were founded as boarding schools. Boarding was seen as an important part of the overall educational program. This was not based on any real educational analysis of the needs of prep-school age children. Rather because the primary purpose of the schools was to care for younger children destined for the public schools, which were mostly boarding schools, the prep schools defacto were largely organized as bording schools. In addition, most early headmasters set out to recreate a public school on a small scale, agian the natural tebdency was to follow the boarding approach of the public schools. Many early headmasters were public school masters or other individuals influenced by the public schools. For many children, especially the younger children, boarding was an unpleasant experience. Sone adjusted better than others.
Day schools were also created in the larger cities, but they generally did not have the same cachet as the boarding schools. Some boarding schools accepted a few day boys, but often the location of the schools limited the numbers. Other schools decided not to accept day children, seeing it as an uneeded complication or even distrupting the operations of the school. Even with schools that accepted day children, the ethos of the schools was often strongly oriented toward the boarding children. Commonly the day schools had more limited sports and activities programs. Also the individual attention and character training aspects of the prep school program is not as strong at day schools as is the case at boarding schools.
British parents for many years saw boarding as an important part of a child's, especially a boy's education. This was in large part a British phenomenon. Boarding was much less important in other countries. Bording was seen as needed to toughen up a boy. Presumably that for many years it was a decession largely taken by fathers. Parents The boarding orinentation of the prep schools largely continued until after World War II. By the 1960s parental attitudes began to change. We are not entirely sure why attitudes chasnged at the time. Surely one factor was tht mothers were increaingly important in family decession making. Another factor was that children's opinions and desire were tzkn more into account. Many parents, especially mothers began to reconsider the almost automatic decession to board younger children. Many parents still saw boarding as a positive influence, but thought that 7 or 8 years of age was just to young to begin boarding.
As a result, of changing parental attitudes. most boarding schools now accept an increasing number of day children. Surburbanization has been another factor. The spread of the cities has meant that some prep schools once located in rural areas now have had cities spread out around them. Ths has meant that that more children live near the schools. and as family cars are now common, the children can be driven to school. As a result, Day children now constitute an important element of most boarding schools. A few boarding schools still do not accept day children, but this is not very common. Commonly older day children stay late at school to participate in activities and sports. Some also stay for prep. Often the schools will encourage the parents to board the day children in the last two years, to better prepare them for their public schools where they will probably board.
Boarders are involved in a range of activities after the day boys go home. Various actibies such as clubs, sports, and music are organized. There is also prep and free ime. Here the mix of activities varires greatly from school to school. Schools with swimming pools often open the pools, although this is seasonal unless the school has an indoor heated pool. Dormitory Boarding arrangements at prep schools differfrom those at public schools. There are houses at prep schools, but for the most part these are not residential houses mixing age levels. Rather the children sleep in dormitory rooms with children of the same age. Often a older boy sleeps with them serving as a prefect or supervisor. The dormitories have probably more than any other aspect of school life in recent years. Increasingly rare are drab, spartan dormitories. More common now are more homey, colorful quarters with a rnge of amenities like carpets.
Again in resonse to parental desires and needs, the boarding schools have devised more flexible boarding arrangements. In addtion, improved transportation, especially personal cars has meant that parental visits to school and flexible boarding is now far more acceptable to both the children and the parents. Flexible boarding primarily allows the children to go home over the weekend, usually after morning classes on Saturday. This is an arrangement that quite a number of parents now choose and especially popular with the children. Generally the children get much of the value of boarding while not being so completely separate from their parents. There are, however, many other alternative approaches involved with flexible boarding. The schools are becoming increasingly accomodating to individual needs.
A lot goes on at school after the day children go home. Here the program varies from school to school. It also varies seasonally. Generally the children are allowed to stay up longer during the summer term with longer days. Of course thed schools vary considerably as to the facilities availavle for freetime activities. There can be free time, supervised activities like a free swim, tea (evening meal), perhaps some television (usually the news), prep, and finally bed time. Some schools give more attention to free time while others place greater emphasis on prep. The amount of time in the evening depends on the child's age.
Mny boarding schools provide the children a few exeats which they can take to be with their parents over theweekend. These are staggered so only a few children are away from school at any given time. The schools also may schedule short weekends where all the children can go home. There are also breaks scheduled between terms. The Autumn Term always ends with Christmas so the children are home with their families.
Boarding for some children is a necesity for a range of reasons. The most common is that the parents work overseas are travel a great deal. Some educators maintain that boarding is a valuable educational experiene in itself and thus useful in its own right. Here even boarding schools to not mainatin that boarding is advisable for every child, but they believe it is beneficial for most children. There is considerable difference of opinion here, especially concerning the value of boarding for younger children--namely prep school age children. We do not pretend to be avle to address this issue fully. Our purpose here is to present what the schools and children have to say on the latter. The schools of course have a vested interest in describing the value of boarding, but they make a good case. The children tend to be of mixed mind on the subject. Some like noarding, but most would probably be happier at home. Most of the older children looking bak tend to agree that boarding has been a a valuable academic experience. They are less equipped at the press school age to reasonably assess the social benefits.
Children board for a rabnge of reasons. The children have different opinions about boarding. Some children board because their parents are out of the country or otherwise unable to care for their children. Some parents believe the boarding experience to be beneficial. Some of the older children ask to board because it affords more time to participate in school activities. As a result of the different reasons and the varying personlities, the children have a range of opinions about boarding. One factor is age. The younger children are dubious about boarding at first. The older children are more likely to like the idea of boarding, although opinions vary.
