Doors 264 – Doors from Highgate, London, November 2023 (Part III)
I went to a private (public) school in London, Highgate School, which was regarded in those days as a ‘second division’ public school for boys. In fairness, it has changed immeasurably since I was there. Then, it was a hotbed of white male privilege, and an anachronistic hangover from our colonialist days as a nation.
I received a very good education there and made a select few lifelong friends, but I frequently reflect on my time with some regret, that I was, and by inference am, a product of a system that has resulted in so many things that are bad about our country today. Misogyny, arrogance, inflated confidence, entitlement, racism, hierarchy and many other aspects of a social and financial elitism were nurtured in the public school environments of the 1970s.
We see in the current (and previous) Conservative Government the outcome of a dysfunctional and utterly unfair and unbalanced educational (and class) system. So many of our decision makers have enormous ‘blind spots’ where their position and status have been forged by their privileged experiences and selfish desires, without even a cursory glance at the wider society they serve.
Make no mistake, the private educational system in our country perpetuates the class and social divides and in my view should be abolished. A good education and educational assets should be the right of every child in the country, without exception, irrespective of background or ability to pay. Raise the bar for everyone, and if we have to pay more taxes to get it, then so be it. Those paying £30,000 per year (or term in some places) would be able to divert their savings into the public purse and feel the warm glow of helping the nation rather than themselves.
It is clear from the last 14 years, that our Eton-educated leaders have absolutely ruined our country, not because of the quality of their education, but because of their prejudices and ideology nurtured on the playing fields of British public schools.
OK, so I have got that off my chest. There are some parts of my school days that I do look upon fondly. My friends, some of the teachers (the Zoological Society – see last week’s post), the access to sport and the buildings were positive aspects, and through the years I had something of a love/hate relationship with the school. I worked hard, was never particularly academic, and was generally well-behaved. My reward eventually was to be made a school Prefect and head of my house (Eastgate), I say this to put into context the final photograph in this week’s selection where I am sitting to the left of the Housemaster (right as you look at it).
As you might have gathered, this week’s doors are all from the buildings of Highgate School, photographed on my visit there last November. Definitely mixed feelings when I saw the old place. I hope you enjoy the doors.
I am sure that is it the same for many of us that our school days contribute immeasurably to who we become. I have spend many of my adult years gently unpicking and scrutinising my time at Highgate School, and think I now have a much healthier relationship with the place and circumstance I found myself in, and have challenged the attitudes and prejudices that surrounded me. I am content with it.
More of an essay than a Thursday doors – I promise to revert back to concentrating on doors next week, when I will feature some more Highgate doors.
If you have made it this far, you probably like doors, and you really ought to take a look at the No Facilities blog by Dan Anton who has taken over the hosting of Thursday Doors from Norm 2.0 blog. Links to more doorscursions can be found in the comments section of Dan Anton’s Thursday Doors post.
by Scooj
Natural adventures 
Handsome selection! I so agree that a good, well-rounded education is the right of every child.
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Thank you.
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Having no idea how the U.K. school system works was that considered like an Amercan High School of 4 years ? Or was it longer ?
America does have elitist private Catholic schools and Richer school districts as well, so do you share in the shit values of the enviroment you grew up in or did you make an attempt to distance yourself ?
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Private schools in the UK often have a ‘prep’ school which operates from the ages of 7 to 11. Then the senior or main school will take students from 12 to 18.
My values are quite different from those I was surrounded by at school, but as a youngster it is difficult to know or understand what is going on. It is only since I left school that I have challenged those toxic values and worked out the world through a more experienced lens. Most of my old school friends have gone on the same journey. Those that haven’t weren’t friends anyway. Perhaps we coalesced as friends at the time because we didn’t particularly like what we saw and had quite an unconventional take on things. Humour was our first refuge.
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😁👍 thanks bro for the explanation…glad to hear you took a more enlightened path
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🙌
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A good education is the best foundation for success in life. Good looking school you have. It must be a great feeling to visit it.
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I must confess that I am curious to see what it looks like inside these days.
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Well, I would be too, if I were you.
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We have an abundance of private schools in New England. When I was growing up in western Pennsylvania, our parents moved us into a neighboring township that had a “better” school system. I share many of your musings about that decision, but I wasn’t consulted at the time. I feel strongly that we need to do a better job of educating all children.
On the other hand, the buildings are lovely as are the doors. The good news is that you haven’t stopped learning.
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Thank you. I agree the buildings are lovely. Perhaps they should be shared more evenly. You’ll be glad to know that the school opened its doors to female pupils quite some time ago, and I would like to think that would have improved some things.
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Amazing that that had to be a big step for them. Many around here have done the same, but in an effort to make money, not level the playing field.
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Thank you for sharing your personal story, Scooj. I appreciate your candor and reflection on the value and meaning of a good education to who we become as persons.
The orange/red brickwork framed the doors elegantly.
Great photos!! Your perspectives and distance on the wider angle photos are perfection. Cheers.
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Thank you and thank you.
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I always enjoy your doors, Stephen, and I especially liked that gate. The fact that you’ve recognized so many things about the system and yourself and moved on from them is a testament to you and an education you picked up somewhere, perhaps a combination of here and from life. Well done.
janet
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Thank you so much, I appreciate your comment enormously.
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Thank you for sharing your school days reflections. I especially like the grand stairs leading into the front of the school, where your class photo is taken.
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Thank you. The funny thing about those stairs is that they were ‘out of bounds’ and only ever used for special concerts or parent evenings.
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Like a ‘formal’ living room back in the day. 😅
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Yes. haha, just like that.
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