Author Description
The public schools of England have long been praised and reviled in equal measure. Do they perpetuate elites and unjust divisions of social class? Do they improve or corrupt young minds and bodies? Should they be abolished? Are they in fact the form of education we would all wish for our children if we could only afford the fees?Jonathan Gathorne-Hardy's classic study of Britain's 'independent sector' of schools first appeared in 1977 and still stands as the most widely admired history of the subject, ranging across 1400 years in its spirited investigation. Provocative and comprehensive, witty and revealing, it traces the arc by which schools that were, circa 1900, typically 'frenziedly repressive about sex, odiously class-conscious and shut off into tight, conventional, usually brutal little total communities' gradually evolved into acknowledged centres of academic excellence, as keen on science as organised games, 'fairly relaxed about sex, and moderate in discipline' - but to which access still 'depends largely on class and entirely on money.'
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
This work investigates the historical evolution, social function, and systemic impact of England's independent public school system over the course of 1400 years. Jonathan Gathorne-Hardy, a noted social historian, utilizes a comprehensive historical framework to analyze how these institutions transitioned from isolated, often brutal environments into modern centers of academic prestige. He argues that while the pedagogical and disciplinary methods of these schools have modernized, their fundamental role in reinforcing class divisions and economic exclusivity remains largely unchanged.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- A 1400-year historical survey of the English public school system.
- Analysis of the shift from repressive, class-obsessed environments to modern academic institutions.
- Examination of the intersection between elite education, social mobility, and financial access.
Scope Limits
- The text focuses primarily on the independent sector in England and does not provide a comparative analysis of state-funded education systems.
- The study concludes with the historical context of the late 20th century and does not account for 21st-century digital or policy shifts.
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Critics and historians frequently cite this work as the definitive historical account of the British public school system due to its extensive research and narrative clarity. Scholars often highlight the text for its balanced approach to the institutional contradictions between academic excellence and social stratification.
Page Count:
496
Publication Date:
1979-01-01
Publisher:
Penguin
ISBN-10:
0140049495
ISBN-13:
9780140049497
History
Non-Fiction
Sociology
British History
Education