Why does Eton make headlines....?

Anything that doesn't fit anywhere else, but that's still CH related.

Moderator: Moderators

User avatar
jtaylor
Forum Administrator
Posts: 1880
Joined: Sat Jun 05, 2004 12:32 am
Real Name: Julian Taylor
Location: Wantage, OXON
Contact:

Why does Eton make headlines....?

Post by jtaylor »

Why does Eton make headlines for this:-
Eton College to offer 12 free sixth form places https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-48902808
when CH has been doing WAY more than this for years?
Julian Taylor-Gadd
Leigh Hunt 1985-1992
Image
Founder of The Unofficial CH Forum
https://www.grovegeeks.co.uk - IT Support and website design for home, small businesses and charities.
rockfreak
Grecian
Posts: 972
Joined: Sun Apr 06, 2014 8:31 pm
Real Name: David Redshaw
Location: Saltdean, East Sussex

Re: Why does Eton make headlines....?

Post by rockfreak »

Eton is part of the establishment and many of today's well-off and well-connected send their children there. As do some of those who work in the top echelons of the media and send their kids to these places. They have a vested interest in bigging up the top fee-paying, boarding schools.
User avatar
Great Plum
Button Grecian
Posts: 5282
Joined: Wed Dec 15, 2004 10:59 am
Real Name: Matt Holdsworth
Location: Reigate

Re: Why does Eton make headlines....?

Post by Great Plum »

jtaylor wrote: Sun Jul 07, 2019 10:16 pm Why does Eton make headlines for this:-
Eton College to offer 12 free sixth form places https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-48902808
when CH has been doing WAY more than this for years?
Maybe it’s because Eton is on a massive pr exercise as they are worried about the next PM?
Maine B - 1992-95 Maine A 1995-99
User avatar
J.R.
Forum Moderator
Posts: 15835
Joined: Wed Mar 09, 2005 4:53 pm
Real Name: John Rutley
Location: Dorking, Surrey

Re: Why does Eton make headlines....?

Post by J.R. »

Julian.
Could I point out a spelling typo in the thread title ?
I could edit but feel you should.
(Thanks - well spotted - now fixed! J)
Anyway, Eton is only for the privelidged few.
I await Freaky's opinion.
John Rutley. Prep B & Coleridge B. 1958-1963.
User avatar
jtaylor
Forum Administrator
Posts: 1880
Joined: Sat Jun 05, 2004 12:32 am
Real Name: Julian Taylor
Location: Wantage, OXON
Contact:

Re: Why does Eton make headlines....?

Post by jtaylor »

I wonder how the majority of Eton boys will treat their “charity-kids”?? I recall how other independent schools used to call us The Paupers, but how the local state schools used to call as the posh toffs.

One of the great things about CH was that none of us knew (at least in the first year or so) who was from a well off background, and who not. A great leveller.
Julian Taylor-Gadd
Leigh Hunt 1985-1992
Image
Founder of The Unofficial CH Forum
https://www.grovegeeks.co.uk - IT Support and website design for home, small businesses and charities.
Foureyes
Grecian
Posts: 926
Joined: Mon Dec 25, 2006 11:26 am
Real Name: David
Location: England

Re: Why does Eton make headlines....?

Post by Foureyes »

I once saw a splendid Eton-related put-down. It was a BBC Question Time, with Dimblebore as chairman and Rees-Mogg as one of the panelists. The subject of Eton was being discussed and Dimblebore made a very disparaging comment on the school and parents who were well-off sending their children there. He then turned to R-M : "I believe that you were there?" "Yes," replied R-M, unperturbed as always, "in fact, I was there at the same time as your son." The chairman then very quickly turned discussion to the next item on the agenda!!
David :shock:
User avatar
J.R.
Forum Moderator
Posts: 15835
Joined: Wed Mar 09, 2005 4:53 pm
Real Name: John Rutley
Location: Dorking, Surrey

Re: Why does Eton make headlines....?

Post by J.R. »

Foureyes wrote: Mon Jul 08, 2019 11:06 am I once saw a splendid Eton-related put-down. It was a BBC Question Time, with Dimblebore as chairman and Rees-Mogg as one of the panelists. The subject of Eton was being discussed and Dimblebore made a very disparaging comment on the school and parents who were well-off sending their children there. He then turned to R-M : "I believe that you were there?" "Yes," replied R-M, unperturbed as always, "in fact, I was there at the same time as your son." The chairman then very quickly turned discussion to the next item on the agenda!!
David :shock:
I remember that occasion well.
John Rutley. Prep B & Coleridge B. 1958-1963.
User avatar
postwarblue
Deputy Grecian
Posts: 409
Joined: Mon May 21, 2007 12:12 pm
Real Name: Robert Griffiths
Location: Havant

Re: Why does Eton make headlines....?

Post by postwarblue »

The point seems to be that Eton is offering VI form scholarships per se. It already has a core of scholarship boys and that has always been the case. Notoriously, the magic Boris was one of them, in distinction to Cameron who was a 'paid' entrant. The assumption that only rich kids can get there is therefore false although repeated often enough by the unthinking or terminally biased. The scholarship system ensures Eton a supply of the very bright as well as the moneyed (and probably helps with league tables, as if Eton cared about them) and provides an avenue for the bright to escape the State beargarden and being bullied for being clever (as does, more widely, CH).

https://www.etoncollege.com/Scholarships.aspx
'Oh blest retirement, friend to life's decline'
User avatar
marty
Grecian
Posts: 835
Joined: Tue Jan 18, 2005 1:29 pm
Real Name: Marty E
Location: Buckinghamshire

Re: Why does Eton make headlines....?

Post by marty »

Foureyes wrote: Mon Jul 08, 2019 11:06 am I once saw a splendid Eton-related put-down. It was a BBC Question Time, with Dimblebore as chairman and Rees-Mogg as one of the panelists. The subject of Eton was being discussed and Dimblebore made a very disparaging comment on the school and parents who were well-off sending their children there. He then turned to R-M : "I believe that you were there?" "Yes," replied R-M, unperturbed as always, "in fact, I was there at the same time as your son." The chairman then very quickly turned discussion to the next item on the agenda!!
David :shock:
Available on youtube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8wKRg-1e6s
My therapist says I have a preoccupation with vengeance. We’ll see about that.
wurzel
Deputy Grecian
Posts: 393
Joined: Wed Jul 04, 2007 1:59 pm
Real Name: Ian
Location: Reading

Re: Why does Eton make headlines....?

Post by wurzel »

postwarblue wrote: Mon Jul 08, 2019 2:18 pm The point seems to be that Eton is offering VI form scholarships per se. It already has a core of scholarship boys and that has always been the case. Notoriously, the magic Boris was one of them, in distinction to Cameron who was a 'paid' entrant. The assumption that only rich kids can get there is therefore false although repeated often enough by the unthinking or terminally biased. The scholarship system ensures Eton a supply of the very bright as well as the moneyed (and probably helps with league tables, as if Eton cared about them) and provides an avenue for the bright to escape the State beargarden and being bullied for being clever (as does, more widely, CH).

https://www.etoncollege.com/Scholarships.aspx
As we live in Berkshire but not inside the old Reading/Newbury Parish boundaries required for West's gifts Eton was suggested to us for our son but upon investigation it just didnt "feel" right, I felt he would either end up bullied or a drug dealer (or equivalent) as he just did not have the social skills to cope with mixing with those type of people - as was also pointed out in present the CH entrance process which is one of the reasons he did not go to CH
Pe.A
Deputy Grecian
Posts: 440
Joined: Thu Apr 04, 2019 4:05 pm
Real Name: RTroni

Re: Why does Eton make headlines....?

Post by Pe.A »

J.R. wrote: Sun Jul 07, 2019 11:37 pm Julian.
Could I point out a spelling typo in the thread title ?
I could edit but feel you should.
(Thanks - well spotted - now fixed! J)
Anyway, Eton is only for the privelidged few.
I await Freaky's opinion.
Could I point out a spelling typo in your post ? ; p

privileged...?
User avatar
J.R.
Forum Moderator
Posts: 15835
Joined: Wed Mar 09, 2005 4:53 pm
Real Name: John Rutley
Location: Dorking, Surrey

Re: Why does Eton make headlines....?

Post by J.R. »

Pe.A wrote: Mon Jul 08, 2019 10:21 pm
J.R. wrote: Sun Jul 07, 2019 11:37 pm Julian.
Could I point out a spelling typo in the thread title ?
I could edit but feel you should.
(Thanks - well spotted - now fixed! J)
Anyway, Eton is only for the privelidged few.
I await Freaky's opinion.
Could I point out a spelling typo in your post ? ; p

privileged...?
Doh !!
John Rutley. Prep B & Coleridge B. 1958-1963.
jakew
3rd Former
Posts: 47
Joined: Fri Apr 27, 2018 5:59 pm
Real Name: jake

Re: Why does Eton make headlines....?

Post by jakew »

jtaylor wrote: Mon Jul 08, 2019 7:46 am I wonder how the majority of Eton boys will treat their “charity-kids”?? I recall how other independent schools used to call us The Paupers, but how the local state schools used to call as the posh toffs.

One of the great things about CH was that none of us knew (at least in the first year or so) who was from a well off background, and who not. A great leveller.
I remember a contemporary from CH referring to the Tiffin as a "commie school" when we went to play them at rugby! This stuck in my mind, as I had never heard the expression before, it must have been in the 2nd or 3rd form (yes, I went to a "commie" primary school).

And yes, the Eton thing is about PR, they are considerably better at it than CH.
loringa
Deputy Grecian
Posts: 473
Joined: Tue Jun 14, 2005 5:01 pm
Real Name: Andrew Loring
Location: South Gloucestershire

Re: Why does Eton make headlines....?

Post by loringa »

Why does Eton makes the headlines offering these scholarships? Our class-ridden and desperately envious society is fascinated by the doings of the rich and famous to a degree bordering on prurience and Eton is where the rich and famous send their children to be educated. This is also why when reporting on CH, the media never fails to mention the fees paid by the 20% of full fee payers and never mentions the 80% who pay far less or even nothing).

For the same reasons, Brits equally love the opportunity to look down on those they consider beneath them. We are obsessed with the royal family, waste hours following the doings of the 'celebs' but are equally fascinated with those at the other end of society on whom we love to look down. The popularity of shows like Benefits Street, Benefits by the Sea, Jeremy Kyle, and anything with 'Gypsy' in the title confirms this. Similarly, we like to mock those we consider to be intellectually inferior, in this case see TOWIE and Geordie Shore to name but two. Why did a majority vote for BREXIT when it is clearly not in our economic interest? I suggest it is largely because British people like to consider themselves superior to the rest of the EU: harder working; more honest and better at football (actually, scrub the last comment).

Back to Eton, the bottom line is that it is an excellent school and, provided you fit in, you will get an outstanding education. Fitting in, of course, is not just about money and I think these scholarships are a good thing and those who get them will benefit enormously so long as they have the personal qualities required to take advantage of the opportunities available. Personally, I suspect they will and I wish them the very best of luck.
AMP
Deputy Grecian
Posts: 279
Joined: Wed Nov 14, 2018 12:15 pm
Real Name: Amp

Re: Why does Eton make headlines....?

Post by AMP »

Foureyes wrote: Mon Jul 08, 2019 11:06 am I once saw a splendid Eton-related put-down. It was a BBC Question Time, with Dimblebore as chairman and Rees-Mogg as one of the panelists. The subject of Eton was being discussed and Dimblebore made a very disparaging comment on the school and parents who were well-off sending their children there. He then turned to R-M : "I believe that you were there?" "Yes," replied R-M, unperturbed as always, "in fact, I was there at the same time as your son." The chairman then very quickly turned discussion to the next item on the agenda!!
David :shock:
They were discussing the third runway at Heathrow and R-M nonchalently mentioned that he used to live near Reading and never had a problem with the flight path
Post Reply