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Boarding is a memorable experience for the children involved. Boarding school life at British schools has changed very significantly over time. There is no doubt that for many children, boarding was an unpleant experience, especially for boys not athletically inclined. There is today a much greater emphasis on academics and the arts. Sports are still important, but not as important as they once were. The changes at the schools have not been reflected in the popular image of the schools. A factor here is the left-wing orientation of the media which insists on focusing on social class issues and tends to perpetuate a negastive image of the schools, staff, and students. Of course the boarding experiemnce varies from school to school. Living conditions today are much more comfortable than they were even in the post-World War II era. Stark dormitories have been replaced by much more comfortable living arrangements.
Boarding school life also varies as to the type of school. The younger children at preparatory schools are much more closely supervised than the teenagers at public schools. And the residentuial living conditions are different. Prep school children are more likely to live in small dormitories with four to eight ither children. Public school students are more likely to have more privacy, perhaps with one to two roomates. A major change at many schools had been the addition of a range of recreational facilities that the children can enjoy in their free time. This has sigfiicantly changed the boarding experience as the chioldren spend so much time at school outside of the classroom. Many readers who attended boarding schools before the 1980s often mention boredom as a prevailing memory. This was often the case of the students not sports oriented. Boarding schools today commonly have the feeling of a summer camp where most of the children can find interesting and rewarding pursuits after classess as well as a more rewarding academic experience.
Boarding is a memorable experience for the children involved. Boarding school life at British schools has changed very significantly over time. There is no doubt that for many children, boarding was an unpleant experience, especially for boys not athletically inclined. There is today a much greater emphasis on academics and the arts. Sports are still important, but not as important as they once were. Living conditions which were once spartan are now much more pleasant. Part of these changes are major shifts on how children are treated in society. And the children now have more say in their lives which has required that the schools give more attention on their opinions and needs. A shift toward coeducation has been another factor.
The changes at the schools have not been reflected in the popular image of the schools. A factor here is the left-wing orientation of the media which insists on focusing on social class issues and tends to perpetuate a negative image of the schools, staff, and students. A student writes, "I have just finished at by prep school and am at my new public school. You are right about the media here. Independent schools arte often depicted negatively. It is expensive, but my parents are not rich. My mum works to afford the school fees. People need to understand that boarding schools are not just for rich kids."
Our basic conclusion is that may students that attended boarding schools before the 1970s or even 80s had unpleasant excperiences. Certainly not all, perhaps not a majority, but a goodly mumber. This is less true for students since the 70s. A major factor here is that boarding, especially prep boarding is no longer forced on the children as it once was. The children are now often consulted. Many of the younger children attend as day students. And if they are unhappy at a school, parents are much more likely to change schools. In addition, the schools have done a great deal to make boarding a more experience. Of course the boarding experience varies from school to school. A reader writes, "I went to both a prep and public school. It was a wonderful experience. I plan to send our children to boarding school as well. I find that that many people think boarding school is a form of punishment are something done by disinterested parents. rue. I made wonderful friends at school and am still in touch with some of them." An American reader writes, "I have never attended a boarding school and have always thought of it as an unpleasant experience, a kind of strict kids prison, Here a lot of bioarding schools are military schools. It is interesting to read about British boarding schools and what school life is like there." Another British reader writes, "I'm at university now. Boarding at a prep and public school has been a great experience and has been a invaluable preparation. At a boarder I really matured. I think I am, as a result, better able to handle university. I learned to make life decisions and had more freedoms than the average teenager living at home. (I know that is not the standard perception.) And the academics provided me with a solid foundation for my university studies."
Living conditions today are much more comfortable than they were even in the post-World War II era. Stark, spartan dormitories have been replaced by much more comfortable living arrangements.
Boarding school life also varies as to the type of school. The younger children at preparatory schools are much more closely supervised than the teenagers at public schools. And the residentuial living conditions are different. Prep school children are more likely to live in small dormitories with four to eight ither children. Public school students are more likely to have more privacy, perhaps with one to two roomates.
A major change at many schools had been the addition of a range of recreational facilities that the children can enjoy in their free time. This has sigfiicantly changed the boarding experience as the chioldren spend so much time at school outside of the classroom. Many readers who attended boarding schools before the 1980s often mention boredom as a prevailing memory. This was often the case of the students not sports oriented. Boarding schools today commonly have the feeling of a summer camp where most of the children can find interesting and rewarding pursuits after classess as well as a more rewarding academic experience.
The primary difference between day schools and boarding school is the residential arrangements. Quite a number of children attend as day children and enjoy much of what the school has to offer. The primary difference is the residential arrangements. Prep schools and public schools are similar in many ways given adjustments for age differences. The major difference is the residential arrangements. Prep school children generally live in dormitories. Public school youth generally live in boarding houses. This reflects the younger children's greater need for supervision. Prep schools have dormitories structured by age. This facilitates the varying needs of the different ages and the fact that bed time is structured by age, the older children having a later bed time. Gone are the large spartan dormitories. The children now have small, well appointed dirms. This varies by school, but doorm rooms are usually for about four to eifght children. The shift toward coeducation was a major factor in the improved appointments for the boys. Often the older boys who are prefects are given small rooms rather than living in dorms. At a few prep schools there are boarding houses for the older children. All the prep schools have houses, just not boarding houses. Public school students live in boarding houses with comparable numbers of the varying age groups mixed together. They are seen after by a house master and matron. The house master and his family live in the boarding house. They look after the house members in all aspects of their school life. Youths whose parents attended the school often want to be in the same house as their parents. Boarding afords the students to take advantage of the school facilities. Often prep boys who begin as day boys decide after a few years to board as they often spend a great deal of time traveling back and forth. But convenience is not the only reason. Living together affects the interpersonal relations and friendships formed as well as relations with the masters. The prep schools usually incourage the students to begin boarding at least by age 11 years to prepare for public school boarding. Having masters living around you is not always considered as a great advantage by the students, but there are advantages. Students having trouble with the work can ask friends or the teachers for help, both during and after prep (homework) sessions.
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