Who cares which school you went to?
WHy are we so fixated on which
school did one attend, asked journalist Josh glancy? it’s a very British question for sure, but at least former PM Tony Blair tried to do something about it, spending eye-watering amounts of taxpayers’ money to rectify the imbalance quietly, by making private education no longer necessary. His was a political vision to be looked up to. does germany debate the import of its Chancellor Olaf scholz’s education at schule Bekassinenau, Oldenfelde, or President of the european Commission Ursula von der leyen? U.s. President Joe Biden’s education at archmere academy, delaware, seems not to be raised? i served on Blair’s High level strategy group and, subsequently, Blair’s (then gordon Brown’s) Chevening scholarship Boards in the United Kingdom and Hong Kong, enabling outstanding emerging leaders from all over the world to pursue a one-year Masters degree in the UK, whatever discipline: dermatology to aerospace, mathematics to marketing. a top-rated ad agency was hired to make a film showing how British higher education was like no other. The footage showed enthusiastic groups of post-grads engaging in the cut and thrust of intellectual debate. all very impressive, sought and readily available in the U.s., australia, Canada and new Zealand, dominions, protectorates, mandates, and other territories administered by the United Kingdom.
Only in the United Kingdom can one play baroque music in a baroque church. let’s end our national obsession with which school one attended.
The Old Boys’ network: a Headmaster’s diaries 1972-1988, by John Rae, captures the spirit of the times but does so with a dry sense of humour, passion and refreshing honesty. anti-establishment Rae, who was the headmaster of Westminster school, instinctively knew British nationality and Christian faith were no longer prerequisites for a scholarship place. Westminster’s reputation and academic standing were admired whatever one’s background.
KIT THOMPSON, Clare Hall, university of Cambridge.