The Trevor Roper Lecture, ‘A History of British Public Schools’ by Dr Jane Hamlett (Researcher at Royal Holloway, University of London) was held on Thursday 16 November. Review by Rory (Year 13):
The lecture on Public Schools was fascinating and particularly close to the heart of Charterhouse. Not only was it good to note that so many underlying traditions have remained, but also it was intriguing to see just how much the School has changed. And these were major and astonishing changes which showed the contrasting environment in which pupils of my age once lived.
While today I would spend much of my free time undisturbed in my warm and completely private single room, in the past British public schools provided vast dormitories each of which were filled with an incredibly large number of boys. The beds were close together and the pupils had only a box at the end of their bed in which to keep their belongings. Though this may seem like a cold, unwelcoming and militaristic environment, Dr Hamlett made it quite clear that at the end of their time at school many boys had learnt to find comfort in their space. What was perhaps most surprising to the audience was the contrasting environment faced by girls at the time in similar institutions. Unlike the cold boys’ schools, girls were housed in warm, colourful rooms which they were allowed to decorate. The girls were allowed more freedom over uniform and had more interaction with the private side of the house. The underlying reasons for these differences were fascinating and telling of the political and social climate of past eras. Many in society thought a less austere environment was more appropriate for young girls, feeling that a formal system would detract from the traditional roles they would play in society and in the family household.
The greatest changes that took place concerned the distribution of authority and power. The Housemaster played a far less involved role in the house than they would today, remaining mainly in their private side, excluding the infrequent house inspection. This meant that the main power was held by the older boys in each house who delivered justice however they saw fit, a system that would cause life to be very daunting for some. This behavior was being phased out as late as the 1970s.
What still remains of the English Public schools? The answer is in the strange little quirks that Dr Hamlett described, the camaraderie, the pranks, the pride and the sense of community. Though for many these quirks would make life at school a miserable experience, many have survived and evolved into a more inclusive and a less intimidating form. Though the day to day functions and the environment of the British boarding school has changed, the spirit still remains.
