Yesterday, I was reading an article by a British Indian who had studied at Cambridge. He had felt quite out of place there, among offspring of the white privileged elite who it seemed were divinely ordained for great things. It is a common criticism of Britain's elite universities and public school system (which, in true British style, refers to elite private boarding schools) that it pumps privileged youngsters, who are usually white men, with inordinate amounts of self-belief, and little else. These men then go on to occupy positions of power in the government, media and business and, blinded by hubris, make a mess of things. Of course, elite university and school networks are not unique to the U.K. but I imagine the ones here are the most vain.
The issue, however, got me thinking about my own school. My sister and I did well at school and left it brimming with self-confidence. But, I would like to think not excessive self-confidence and none of the hauteur that comes with attending an elite school. Our school's name wouldn't have rung a bell outside Thane. But, what of the others who didn't do as well and didn't leave school bursting with self-belief? I imagine everyone who leaves Eton, even the humble ones and those who do badly, leave school with at least one chip on their shoulders, if not three. Is that better than finishing at a school like mine--great but not famous by any means--demoralized and diffident about your future?
I have always felt that my school was great, but now I acknowledge that it was great for me, and maybe not for everyone who attended it. Children are so vulnerable in their formative years that a bad experience can scar them for years. Being a good schoolteacher requires vast reserves of love
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