Purpose Behind The Founding Of Winchester In The Nineteenth Century
The ‘great public schools’ also known as the ‘clarendon nine’ included the boarding schools of Winchester, Eton, Westminster, Charterhouse, Harrow, Rugby, Shrewbury and the two day schools which were not part of the original seven, St. Paul’s and Merchant Taylors’. The first of these schools to open was Winchester in 1382; the school was founded by William of Wykeham, a bishop, and it served as a model for the schools to come. The purpose behind the founding of Winchester was to provide poor scholars an opportunity for education and to provide the Church with recruits for priesthood. The founding of Winchester shows that the main purpose of founding the school was for charity and religious reasons. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries,
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these schools would go from being charity schools to becoming boarding schools for the upper classes. The founders of the ‘great public schools’ could not foresee that the schools would push out the local boys, establish board and cater to the wealthy. What was once created to help those in need became an exclusive place for those who could afford it. This change occurred as a result of a need for the formal education of upper-class boys and because of changes in society.
Before these schools opened, upper class boys were educated by monasteries, private tutors and governors in order to prepare for a post-secondary education.
This shows that upper class society in the medieval era up to the nineteenth century took an interest in the formal education of their sons. Upper-class education before the public school, was based on the individual and lacked uniformity across England. It was during the latter half of the eighteenth century that sending your sons to one of the ‘great public schools’ became the fashionable thing to do. This demonstrates that the upper class of British society in the eighteenth century, set trends and precedents that ‘fashionable’ families would follow later on. It is important to understand that these schools were highly exclusive places reserved for the sons of the upper class …show more content…
families.
The ‘clarendon nine’ was a very exclusive group of schools, which excluded most of those who could not afford tuition and did not have the social standing.
The tuition and board in 1888 at Eton and Harrow ranged from $800 to $1000 , an equivalent of about $20,000 to $25,000 in present-day value . These numbers are very similar to the yearly tuition at some public and private universities today, without board. The cost of these schools demonstrated that only the wealthiest could afford to pay the formal education of their sons at the ‘great public schools’. However, there were some cases of scholarships to these institutions based on merit. Within these schools there was a divide between the ‘scholars’ and the ‘commoners’; the ‘scholars’ were a small group of students whose families could not afford the school tuition, but were admitted to the schools based on merit. This shows that within British society in the nineteenth century there was some room for mobility based on merit, but there would still be a divide between those of the upper class, and those of lower classes. This example also shows the divisions between classes and how they were sometimes together, but did not mix. The ‘great public schools’ emulate society and politics in their own unique
ways.
The ‘great public schools’ were different than other schools of this time because they were primarily boarding schools and they developed a unique system of school government. The development of a system of government is one way in which these schools reflected the society and politics of the world outside of schools. The school government had the headmaster in charge of the school, the housemasters or ‘dames’ that would oversee grave offences and then the prefects or senior boys who carried out discipline within the school. The role of the prefect is especially important, because students would learn leadership and how to rule over others. The practice of ‘fagging’ or underclassmen acting as servants to the prefect, occurred at all of these schools. In essence, this practice gives the boys of the upper class, the opportunity to experience life as a servant, and how to fend for themselves, something that would not have occurred at home. However, some students recalled being mistreated by their prefects, including being beaten and starved. In today’s terms this would be considered bullying, and we understand that long-term abuse from bullying can cause psychological trauma that could follow a person into adulthood. These occurrences could have most definitely affected many of the graduates of the ‘great public schools’ in later years. Lord Sherbrooke, a graduate of Winchester, stated that his years at Winchester taught him to trust in no one. Besides the school government, the students of these ‘great public schools’ obtained a formal education through a curriculum that remained unchanged for a long time. The curriculum of the ‘great public schools’ contained the classics, school-boys learned Latin and Greek, with an emphasis on literature. The ‘great public schools’ were not known for their excellent curriculum, more so they were praised for the manner in which they prepared their young men for society and the world. The education at these public schools prepared young men to be independent and taught them how to fend for themselves. The fact that the schools were boarding schools, where students were away from their families, is one way that students were taught to become independent. The next would be the layout of the school government, where underclassmen would play servant to the prefects. One parent expresses his attitude towards the schooling at Eton, where his son was accepted to go, he stated that the school did not do a great job in educating, but it did teach the young men how to make their way in society. In the late nineteenth century, the ‘great public schools’ were studied by the Endowed Schools Inquiry Commission of 1864 to 1868, who found these schools lacking in the instruction of modern subjects such as science and mathematics. These subjects were becoming increasingly important in the Victorian age where science and technology were advancing at a rapid rate. Another influence to the reform of education came with the French Revolution of 1848. The French Revolution resulted in the release of many great works of philosophy and this is something the British aspired to take part of. During this time there started to be a push for reform in education by the government especially because of this need for advancement in science and technology. The Public Schools Act of 1868 sought to make changes to England’s schooling system in general, but the ‘clarendon nine’ were largely exempt from government interference. This shows that the Victorian age society and government became largely concerned with the schooling system of England. One change to the ‘great public schools’ from the Public Schools Act of 1868 was the institution of new regulations and the replacement of old governors. Being that these schools had been in place for about three hundred years at this point, the Public Schools Act did reform the schools in some ways and spurred them into the modern era. However, one hundred years earlier some changes occurred within these schools when the ‘great public schools’ did not have a great reputation.
In the eighteenth century and the beginning of the nineteenth century the ‘great public schools’ had many notable headmasters that began a process of improving the schools. These reforms were highly based on the individual needs of the school and the rule of the headmaster. Some headmasters of the eighteenth century dealt with issues such as strikes and rebellions from the prefects because of changes the schools incurred without consulting the prefects. This shows that the prefects had a lot of power in the schools, and in a sense claimed ownership of the school because they required consultation when it came to changes. In some cases, headmasters were physically harmed by school boys during these rebellions, and in the case of Headmaster Keate of Eton in the eighteenth century, the boys won these rebellions. This example shows how difficult it was to make changes to the long-standing culture of the ‘great public schools’. The reformers of the nineteenth century included the headmasters Russell of Charterhouse, Butler of Shrewsbury and Arnold of Rugby, who attempted to abolish the policy of fagging, expand the curriculum and the raising the academic standards of their schools. These reformers reacted to the needs of the time, which called for the reform of education and a focus on science and technology. There was also a time of religious revival in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries where religious leaders called for changes in the curriculum and a focus on morality in the schools. This was significant in that the Church influenced education, especially where morality were concerned. During the mid-nineteenth century there was a push for an education in sexuality for students at the ‘great public schools’, the kind where students were encouraged not to engage in sexual activity because of the threat of venereal diseases. This shows a concern for the sexuality and morals of the students, and it is evident that fornication was something the students engaged in, being that this was a great concern for the reformers of this time.
The 'great public schools' were involved in many scandals, thus public opinion of the schools changed from time to time. The Times reported on a case at Harrow where a boy received thirty-one blows for not following the orders of a prefect, and ended up requiring medical attention. This case shows the brutality of the fagging practice that many headmasters sought to change. It also shows that the public was interested in what went on at these schools, for the majority, the public schools was surrounded by an aura of mystery and curiosity. Another scandal that was not publicly announced, involved Headmaster Vaughan of Harrow, who became romantically involved with one of his students. This was a scandal that could ruin any man in society, especially a man of the upper class, society would not forgive a scandal so big. This brings us to image and reputation, it was one of the most important things to those of the upper class.
Students of the nineteenth century usually began their public school career at the age of thirteen and schooling lasted six years. These years were formative years that spurred these young men on a journey to become a gentleman of the upper class society. In addition to the classics curriculum taught at these schools, the students engaged in team sports that included cricket and football. These sports taught the students how to work in teams, leadership and interdependence. Nineteenth century students also learned other subjects including writing, arithmetic, algebra and geography, as a result of the reforms that occurred. After the school boys graduated and became the next generation of English gentlemen to rule, had sons, a new cycle at the ‘great public schools’ would begin. The 'Old Boys’ Network' began with father and son. Many sons would attend the school their fathers and grandfathers attended, it became a family tradition. The graduates of a certain school most of the time became proud alumni and would be involved in the school and with each other after graduation; they were usually part of the same social circles after all. British society was a series of social circles and the 'Old Boys’ Network' could help you or harm you when it came to what social circle you aspired to be a part of.
Image was of grave importance to the English society of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and attending one of these public schools gave an entire family an image of privilege and wealth. For these families it was not a matter of how they would go to school, it was a matter of where they would go to school, because a formal education at the ‘great public schools’ was a necessity for success. At these schools, the boys would form friendships, many of which would last into adulthood, that would in result open many career opportunities for them, and this would become known as the ‘Old Boys’ Network. Networking, even in nineteenth century England, was very important in a society where image and reputation were highly valued. The graduates of ‘the great public schools’ would go on to occupy high positions in the Anglican Church, the British government and the military. In order to obtain certain positions, the alumni of the ‘great public schools’ could contact their old boys for connections and recommendations.
The 'great public schools' underwent many changes between the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. There were rebellions, strikes and scandals that would place the schools in the public eye. Many headmasters between these two centuries attempted to make changes to the government of the school and the academia. Society was influenced by the development of these schools because the graduates would go on to become the next generation of the ruling class. This was significant in that the education and the social experiences received at these schools could influence what kind of leader the young man was to become, and thus his contribution to politics, government, the Church and the military. Attending one of the 'great public schools' became a part of British life, it was what was expected. In the nineteenth century the schools served as a place where boys of the upper class practiced British society in an enclosed setting and obtained a set of social skills that would influence their later years of adulthood and thus impacting society, being that they were the leaders of tomorrow.
these schools would go from being charity schools to becoming boarding schools for the upper classes. The founders of the ‘great public schools’ could not foresee that the schools would push out the local boys, establish board and cater to the wealthy. What was once created to help those in need became an exclusive place for those who could afford it. This change occurred as a result of a need for the formal education of upper-class boys and because of changes in society.
Before these schools opened, upper class boys were educated by monasteries, private tutors and governors in order to prepare for a post-secondary education.
This shows that upper class society in the medieval era up to the nineteenth century took an interest in the formal education of their sons. Upper-class education before the public school, was based on the individual and lacked uniformity across England. It was during the latter half of the eighteenth century that sending your sons to one of the ‘great public schools’ became the fashionable thing to do. This demonstrates that the upper class of British society in the eighteenth century, set trends and precedents that ‘fashionable’ families would follow later on. It is important to understand that these schools were highly exclusive places reserved for the sons of the upper class …show more content…
families.
The ‘clarendon nine’ was a very exclusive group of schools, which excluded most of those who could not afford tuition and did not have the social standing.
The tuition and board in 1888 at Eton and Harrow ranged from $800 to $1000 , an equivalent of about $20,000 to $25,000 in present-day value . These numbers are very similar to the yearly tuition at some public and private universities today, without board. The cost of these schools demonstrated that only the wealthiest could afford to pay the formal education of their sons at the ‘great public schools’. However, there were some cases of scholarships to these institutions based on merit. Within these schools there was a divide between the ‘scholars’ and the ‘commoners’; the ‘scholars’ were a small group of students whose families could not afford the school tuition, but were admitted to the schools based on merit. This shows that within British society in the nineteenth century there was some room for mobility based on merit, but there would still be a divide between those of the upper class, and those of lower classes. This example also shows the divisions between classes and how they were sometimes together, but did not mix. The ‘great public schools’ emulate society and politics in their own unique
ways.
The ‘great public schools’ were different than other schools of this time because they were primarily boarding schools and they developed a unique system of school government. The development of a system of government is one way in which these schools reflected the society and politics of the world outside of schools. The school government had the headmaster in charge of the school, the housemasters or ‘dames’ that would oversee grave offences and then the prefects or senior boys who carried out discipline within the school. The role of the prefect is especially important, because students would learn leadership and how to rule over others. The practice of ‘fagging’ or underclassmen acting as servants to the prefect, occurred at all of these schools. In essence, this practice gives the boys of the upper class, the opportunity to experience life as a servant, and how to fend for themselves, something that would not have occurred at home. However, some students recalled being mistreated by their prefects, including being beaten and starved. In today’s terms this would be considered bullying, and we understand that long-term abuse from bullying can cause psychological trauma that could follow a person into adulthood. These occurrences could have most definitely affected many of the graduates of the ‘great public schools’ in later years. Lord Sherbrooke, a graduate of Winchester, stated that his years at Winchester taught him to trust in no one. Besides the school government, the students of these ‘great public schools’ obtained a formal education through a curriculum that remained unchanged for a long time. The curriculum of the ‘great public schools’ contained the classics, school-boys learned Latin and Greek, with an emphasis on literature. The ‘great public schools’ were not known for their excellent curriculum, more so they were praised for the manner in which they prepared their young men for society and the world. The education at these public schools prepared young men to be independent and taught them how to fend for themselves. The fact that the schools were boarding schools, where students were away from their families, is one way that students were taught to become independent. The next would be the layout of the school government, where underclassmen would play servant to the prefects. One parent expresses his attitude towards the schooling at Eton, where his son was accepted to go, he stated that the school did not do a great job in educating, but it did teach the young men how to make their way in society. In the late nineteenth century, the ‘great public schools’ were studied by the Endowed Schools Inquiry Commission of 1864 to 1868, who found these schools lacking in the instruction of modern subjects such as science and mathematics. These subjects were becoming increasingly important in the Victorian age where science and technology were advancing at a rapid rate. Another influence to the reform of education came with the French Revolution of 1848. The French Revolution resulted in the release of many great works of philosophy and this is something the British aspired to take part of. During this time there started to be a push for reform in education by the government especially because of this need for advancement in science and technology. The Public Schools Act of 1868 sought to make changes to England’s schooling system in general, but the ‘clarendon nine’ were largely exempt from government interference. This shows that the Victorian age society and government became largely concerned with the schooling system of England. One change to the ‘great public schools’ from the Public Schools Act of 1868 was the institution of new regulations and the replacement of old governors. Being that these schools had been in place for about three hundred years at this point, the Public Schools Act did reform the schools in some ways and spurred them into the modern era. However, one hundred years earlier some changes occurred within these schools when the ‘great public schools’ did not have a great reputation.
In the eighteenth century and the beginning of the nineteenth century the ‘great public schools’ had many notable headmasters that began a process of improving the schools. These reforms were highly based on the individual needs of the school and the rule of the headmaster. Some headmasters of the eighteenth century dealt with issues such as strikes and rebellions from the prefects because of changes the schools incurred without consulting the prefects. This shows that the prefects had a lot of power in the schools, and in a sense claimed ownership of the school because they required consultation when it came to changes. In some cases, headmasters were physically harmed by school boys during these rebellions, and in the case of Headmaster Keate of Eton in the eighteenth century, the boys won these rebellions. This example shows how difficult it was to make changes to the long-standing culture of the ‘great public schools’. The reformers of the nineteenth century included the headmasters Russell of Charterhouse, Butler of Shrewsbury and Arnold of Rugby, who attempted to abolish the policy of fagging, expand the curriculum and the raising the academic standards of their schools. These reformers reacted to the needs of the time, which called for the reform of education and a focus on science and technology. There was also a time of religious revival in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries where religious leaders called for changes in the curriculum and a focus on morality in the schools. This was significant in that the Church influenced education, especially where morality were concerned. During the mid-nineteenth century there was a push for an education in sexuality for students at the ‘great public schools’, the kind where students were encouraged not to engage in sexual activity because of the threat of venereal diseases. This shows a concern for the sexuality and morals of the students, and it is evident that fornication was something the students engaged in, being that this was a great concern for the reformers of this time.
The 'great public schools' were involved in many scandals, thus public opinion of the schools changed from time to time. The Times reported on a case at Harrow where a boy received thirty-one blows for not following the orders of a prefect, and ended up requiring medical attention. This case shows the brutality of the fagging practice that many headmasters sought to change. It also shows that the public was interested in what went on at these schools, for the majority, the public schools was surrounded by an aura of mystery and curiosity. Another scandal that was not publicly announced, involved Headmaster Vaughan of Harrow, who became romantically involved with one of his students. This was a scandal that could ruin any man in society, especially a man of the upper class, society would not forgive a scandal so big. This brings us to image and reputation, it was one of the most important things to those of the upper class.
Students of the nineteenth century usually began their public school career at the age of thirteen and schooling lasted six years. These years were formative years that spurred these young men on a journey to become a gentleman of the upper class society. In addition to the classics curriculum taught at these schools, the students engaged in team sports that included cricket and football. These sports taught the students how to work in teams, leadership and interdependence. Nineteenth century students also learned other subjects including writing, arithmetic, algebra and geography, as a result of the reforms that occurred. After the school boys graduated and became the next generation of English gentlemen to rule, had sons, a new cycle at the ‘great public schools’ would begin. The 'Old Boys’ Network' began with father and son. Many sons would attend the school their fathers and grandfathers attended, it became a family tradition. The graduates of a certain school most of the time became proud alumni and would be involved in the school and with each other after graduation; they were usually part of the same social circles after all. British society was a series of social circles and the 'Old Boys’ Network' could help you or harm you when it came to what social circle you aspired to be a part of.
Image was of grave importance to the English society of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and attending one of these public schools gave an entire family an image of privilege and wealth. For these families it was not a matter of how they would go to school, it was a matter of where they would go to school, because a formal education at the ‘great public schools’ was a necessity for success. At these schools, the boys would form friendships, many of which would last into adulthood, that would in result open many career opportunities for them, and this would become known as the ‘Old Boys’ Network. Networking, even in nineteenth century England, was very important in a society where image and reputation were highly valued. The graduates of ‘the great public schools’ would go on to occupy high positions in the Anglican Church, the British government and the military. In order to obtain certain positions, the alumni of the ‘great public schools’ could contact their old boys for connections and recommendations.
The 'great public schools' underwent many changes between the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. There were rebellions, strikes and scandals that would place the schools in the public eye. Many headmasters between these two centuries attempted to make changes to the government of the school and the academia. Society was influenced by the development of these schools because the graduates would go on to become the next generation of the ruling class. This was significant in that the education and the social experiences received at these schools could influence what kind of leader the young man was to become, and thus his contribution to politics, government, the Church and the military. Attending one of the 'great public schools' became a part of British life, it was what was expected. In the nineteenth century the schools served as a place where boys of the upper class practiced British society in an enclosed setting and obtained a set of social skills that would influence their later years of adulthood and thus impacting society, being that they were the leaders of tomorrow.