The myths of elitism
Movies such as Dead Poet’s Society and the Harry Potter series, and the media, often portray private schools as bastions of elitism. However, the results of a recent study dispel the myth that these schools serve only the wealthy.
“We found, to our surprise, that the narrative of elitism does not characterize private schools in this country,” says Deani Van Pelt, co-author of A Diverse Landscape: Independent Schools in Canada and senior fellow at Cardus and the Fraser Institute. “Many parents of modest or similar means are choosing independent schools, not because of wealth but because of the unique education being offered in these schools.”
The study shows that less than five per cent of the country’s roughly 2,000 independent schools fit the description of elite. “The field is vaster than people allow themselves to see,” says Glen Herbert, writer and editor with OurKids.net, an online platform to research private school options. In addition to a range of religious affiliations and size there are private schools that focus on science, language, music or dance; others for the gifted, troubled or developmentally challenged; as well as single-gender and co-ed, boarding and day schools.
Why should parents care about diversity in the private school landscape? “Because they care about their children,” says Herbert. “If a child is not thriving in the public school system, it is important to have options at all ends of the spectrum — whether it is for the child who needs military-style structure to learn responsibility and consequence, or the gifted student who needs an environment where it is cool to be smart. That’s what private schools offer. It’s about the child’s needs.”
These schools also have a cross-section of learners and a diverse student body. Many use financial aid programs to ensure that diversity is both cultural and economic.
At Trinity College School (TCS) in Port Hope, Ont., “we offer an elite education, not an education for elites,” says headmaster Stuart Grainger. “More than 30 per cent of our students receive some form of financial aid. Another 20 per cent of parents work extremely hard ... to afford to send their children here. Our teachers do not come from elite backgrounds and we are located in a small town, which keeps us pretty grounded.”
Socio-economic diversity benefits us all, adds Grainger. “If we are truly looking to
children to change the world, having a student body encompassing a variety of backgrounds and personalities that are engaged in activities not typically part of a teenager’s life, makes them more empathetic, knowledgeable and caring to a wide variety of needs in the world,” he says. “With some of the leadership that young people are exposed to today, where honesty and integrity are constantly being challenged, our role has never been more important than to demonstrate that the values we espouse at TCS are of enormous significance.”
TCS alumni are a tribute to the school’s educational mores and financial aid programs, adds Grainger. He cites Lewis Cirne, a successful Silicon Valley entrepreneur who gives back to the school and students with the Cirne National Scholarships. Jocelyn Murphy, meanwhile, is engaged in a life of compassion around the world with Doctors Without Borders/ Médicins Sans Frontières. She credits TCS for important lessons that influenced her
desire to serve others.
While TCS is associated with the Anglican diocese of Toronto, the school has students from all faiths, and some without faith, says Grainger. “All students are expected to attend chapel, but they are also welcome to practise their own faith at the school. We have quite a diversity of representation and a broad understanding of different cultures.”
The dangers in the myth of private school elitism and disregarding the non-government sector of education is the loss of valuable insight into what parents want, what kids need, and what is possible for education in the future, says Van Pelt. “These independent schools are often places of innovation. They are nimble, often small, and open to opportunity and demand. We can learn about new forms of delivery by looking to the sector,” she says.
Herbert concurs. “The driver for development, pedagogically, has been private schooling,” he says. More than 100 years ago, Maria Montessori put the student first with a focus on creativity and natural learning. Rudolf Steiner focused on imagination in developing the Waldorf method. And more recently, Barbara Arrowsmith Young introduced the Arrowsmith Program to help strengthen weak cognitive capacity. “These are people who wanted to try something different. We can now see their approaches reflected in public education, which shows how teaching can, and has, changed because of private schools.”