Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

I found this on Google but the link is not working. You might be able to get there another way? Apparently these are parliamentary papers held at the University of Southampton.

Christ's Hospital Inquiry Commission report
The Commission discussed the tragic suicide of William Gibbs, ... in so far as the masters at Christ's Hospital School exercised authority over the boys ...
http://www.bopcris.ac.uk/bopall/ref6095.html - 14k - Cached - Similar pages

cj wrote:I found this on Google but the link is not working. You might be able to get there another way? Apparently these are parliamentary papers held at the University of Southampton.

Christ's Hospital Inquiry Commission report
The Commission discussed the tragic suicide of William Gibbs, ... in so far as the masters at Christ's Hospital School exercised authority over the boys ...
http://www.bopcris.ac.uk/bopall/ref6095.html - 14k - Cached - Similar pages

This is it, I think

'To enquire generally, as well into the circumstances under which the suicide of a boy named William Arthur Gibbs has there taken place, as into the discipline and management of the said school.' The Commission discussed the tragic suicide of William Gibbs, taking into consideration the events leading up to it and the boy's character. They concluded that he was neither badly treated by staff nor bullied by his fellow pupils. The evidence showed that he liked school, and responsibility for his death could not be attributed to the authorities there. In considering the question of discipline and management of the school, the Commission questioned numerous witnesses who had been past members of staff and pupils at the school. They found that the structure of the school was different from any other middle school, in so far as the masters at Christ's Hospital School exercised authority over the boys during school time only, and at all other times, the boys were subject to an official called the Warden, who had a staff of matrons and beadles under him. The Commission recommended that the Headmaster and teachers should have authority over the boys at all times and teachers should be resident on the site. They were also in favour of removing the school from London to the country, and concluded that the defects in the school were more due to shortcomings in the system rather than individuals

1849 papers

Refer to Kerren's recollection of Millie, sadist housemistress, keeping a girl prisoner in the Maid's Room, and she never knew why. As I recall from Kerren's post, the teaching staff tried to inervene, but *DR considered that the Housemistress knew best! These Housemistresses were mostly (I think) recruited from the pages of "The Lady" mag, and some of them were a bit strange, but Millie the most warped that I remember.

*Appalling lack of compassionate intervention, DR!

At the risk of being admonished, we have been round this route before, although a very interesting topic.

A few days ago I went to pick up No. 1 Grand-Son from a local school football tournament and he introduced me to his his year tutor who was absolutely fascinated about CH history. He was instrumental in his Head Teacher trying to get Eddie into CH.

Being some twenty years my junior, the teacher was intrigued by the punishment systems used at CH during my time.

He, like I adores the film 'If', starring Malcom McDowell and was surprised when I told him that the treatment/punishment handed down at Horsham was not very far removed from the film with the exception that in my day, House Mons couldn't beat, but could certainly get you beaten by a Housemaster or Deputy Housemaster.

We talked for several minutes and I got the distinct impression that he, like many other teachers are now desparing in the lack of discipline and punishment in schools today.

RIGHT............. That's enough of the serious chat for one day !

Orf for a pint.

jhopgood wrote:

cj wrote:I found this on Google but the link is not working. You might be able to get there another way? Apparently these are parliamentary papers held at the University of Southampton.

Christ's Hospital Inquiry Commission report
The Commission discussed the tragic suicide of William Gibbs, ... in so far as the masters at Christ's Hospital School exercised authority over the boys ...
http://www.bopcris.ac.uk/bopall/ref6095.html - 14k - Cached - Similar pages

This is it, I think

'To enquire generally, as well into the circumstances under which the suicide of a boy named William Arthur Gibbs has there taken place, as into the discipline and management of the said school.' The Commission discussed the tragic suicide of William Gibbs, taking into consideration the events leading up to it and the boy's character. They concluded that he was neither badly treated by staff nor bullied by his fellow pupils. The evidence showed that he liked school, and responsibility for his death could not be attributed to the authorities there. In considering the question of discipline and management of the school, the Commission questioned numerous witnesses who had been past members of staff and pupils at the school. They found that the structure of the school was different from any other middle school, in so far as the masters at Christ's Hospital School exercised authority over the boys during school time only, and at all other times, the boys were subject to an official called the Warden, who had a staff of matrons and beadles under him. The Commission recommended that the Headmaster and teachers should have authority over the boys at all times and teachers should be resident on the site. They were also in favour of removing the school from London to the country, and concluded that the defects in the school were more due to shortcomings in the system rather than individuals

1849 papers

Might this have been the catalyst that started the idea of a move out of London and eventually to Horsham?

Funnily enough, my mum and I were talking about something that happened while I was at CH that seems to echo the sentiment of the system being at fault and letting a pupil slip through 'the net'. But is the system only as good as those who are supposed to be implementing it? (I don't have an answer to that!)

cj wrote: Funnily enough, my mum and I were talking about something that happened while I was at CH that seems to echo the sentiment of the system being at fault and letting a pupil slip through 'the net'. But is the system only as good as those who are supposed to be implementing it? (I don't have an answer to that!)

In other threads we have discussed the current methods of support for pupils at CH which certainly seem to be very good. However much you legislate there will always be a loophole whether deliberately engineered by someone who should be implementing it or an oversight by those who engineered it or as a result of new customs, ideas etc. which were not allowed for originally or even deliberate action contrary to the system's aims (which is cj's point).

A few examples:
- MPs who are alleged to have not declared income, election funds etc. or housing loans (I have Mandelson - he of the two "resignations" in mind) and
- the son of a forum member who was being bullied for a while before it was realised what was happening. In this case I don't think the system should be blamed - it was designed to prevent such excesses but the only prevention would have been psychological testing before the miscreants were accepted as pupils so that they could be prevented from joining in the first place (a pretty impossible and unreasonable procedure in any case).