Boarding school - good idea or bad idea?

[Mich the Tester]

Note to self. Don't talk tulip about stuff I don't understand.

ftfy

[MarillionFan]

ftfy

But then I'd have nothing to say.

[EternalOptimist]

But then I'd have nothing to say.

then say it

[BoredBloke]

A farmer found him hanging there with the plastic bag over his head and a stool lying on the ground next to him.

Yes they say that it's quite common to sh1t yourself when you die - well they say it in South Park!

[NotAllThere]

Equating the abuse of putting young kids in jail for very minor scholastic offences, with sending a 8 year old to boarding school. Couple that with a misleading subject - "The British boarding school remains a bastion of cruelty" - implying that it's an article about cruelty across the board (hah!) rather than focussing on sending young kids.

Typical pathetic guardian bleeding heart liberalism.

[d000hg]

Maybe, but at least the kid has one escape; he goes home in the evenings.

As for the soggy biscuit, described by one poster as an 'urban myth';

No, it didn't happen to me but very nearly did. I was threatened with it by a prefect who then tried to force me into it along with another prefect, but was luckily physically strong enough to fight back. It's not a happy memory at all. In fact it's absolutely bloody terrifying to be threatened with that every night when you're 13 years old. It hardly needs to be said that I didn't sleep much as I was on my guard all the time.

There were several other very scary incidents that I'd rather not get into; it all gets a bit maudlin. But I've dealt with it reasonably well and can get on with life. I wish I could say the same for several others.

As for the kid who killed himself; there were quite a few people at the time saying 'he was a wimp, he couldn't hack it around here'. FFS, he's dead and as far as I know he didn't do anything to hurt anybody. He should now be 40 years old and enjoying life as a succesful musician, which he was almost certain to become. Sorry, but this still makes me angry.

Anyway, make up your own mind about boarding school. Maybe I was unlucky. If you send your kids there then I hope they have a better time of it and that you listen very very carefully to what they tell you (and beware of what they don't tell you).

As for MF's point about 'going postal'; unlikely; I think if anything the experiences gave me a certain immunity (if I can use the comparison to biological immunity) to the trials and tribulations of life.

But on the other hand you're quite good at rugby now. Swings and roundabouts...

[Mich the Tester]

Equating the abuse of putting young kids in jail for very minor scholastic offences, with sending a 8 year old to boarding school. Couple that with a misleading subject - "The British boarding school remains a bastion of cruelty" - implying that it's an article about cruelty across the board (hah!) rather than focussing on sending young kids.

Typical pathetic guardian bleeding heart liberalism.

Well I certainly find Monbiot irritating at times but I think he's raising a serious issue here (very young kids boarding). However he's doing so in a way that makes it unlikely he'll be taken seriously by the people he needs to reach with his message; people who are considering sending their kids to boarding school, and that's a shame.

[Mich the Tester]

But on the other hand you're quite good at rugby now. Swings and roundabouts...

Maybe I'm half-deliberately missing the point, but yes I am, and some would assume that's thanks to public school. It isn't though.

[OwlHoot]

.. Typical pathetic guardian bleeding heart liberalism.

That sums up George Monbiot rather well, the prize mupp.

[mudskipper]

Private education does not necessarily require boarding.

And boarding does not necessarily require private education.