Did Dulwich College tolerate pupils' bigotry and racism...?

[Dogkennelhillbilly]

A detailed account of Nigel Farage's alleged racist and neofascist behaviour while he attended Dulwich College appears in the Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/ng-interactive/2025/nov/18/deeply-shocking-nigel-farage-faces-fresh-claims-of-racism-and-antisemitism-at-school Obviously for most the relevant question is if these allegations are true, then is Farage a suitable person for public office?

But for Dulwich local yokels (and tbh anyone that's already formed a firm opinion about Farage), the more interesting question might be whether Dulwich College incubated and tolerated pupils' racist and bigoted behaviour at the time? After all, the allegations include that NF and a number of other boys sang songs about gassing Jews and engaged in other bigoted behaviour, that teachers were either present or aware of that behaviour, and that nothing was done.

It's remarkable that pieces of the reporting abour 40 years ago mirror some of the allegations about Dulwich College's reaction to some pupils' alleged sexist and predatory behaviour 4 years ago. Minimisation, dismissal, wilful blindness...

https://www.thetimes.com/uk/crime/article/i-warned-head-of-dulwich-college-about-abusive-boys-five-years-ago-xkxgjftk8

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2021/mar/26/dulwich-college-head-warns-pupils-over-culture-protest

[malumbu]

As I may have said before those that knew him  at DC who I have met sat similar, but not sure if they are quoting the above contacts or first hand experience.  And of course that he has changed the pronunciation of his surname

[DulvilleRes]

Dulwich College governance issues always remind me that many of us are helping subsidise the school via what we have to pay to the Dulwich Estate. The original Edward Alleyn will, which bequeathed the Dulwich farmland that forms the basis for the Estate, made for the provision of '12 poor scholars' - I'm not sure propping up a school serving the world's elite in its many guises was what he had in mind. 

[Tinkerbellionx_]

I guess the flip side to this is that DC, Alleyns  and JAGS offer some of their estate and teachers to the local schools. Also DC has a huge number of bursaries/scholarships that fees go some way towards. 

[portioncontrol]

The open letter is definitely worth reading to understand how the culture at DC has grown and continued to grow in this way. Article with open letter

[malumbu]

1 hour ago, portioncontrol said:

The open letter is definitely worth reading to understand how the culture at DC has grown and continued to grow in this way. Article with open letter

Do give a link that's not on a paywall please

I got as far as the title:

Dulwich College turns boys into sexual abusers, former pupil claims

An open letter lists more than 100 cases of assault and harassment allegedly carried out against girls by ‘predators’ at the top private school

 

[CPR Dave]

I'm not sure I believe any of the stuff in the OP about Farage. 

I think it's just a hit job and it's pretty weak at that.

[Dulwich dweller]

10 minutes ago, malumbu said:

Do give a link that's not on a paywall please

I got as far as the title:

Dulwich College turns boys into sexual abusers, former pupil claims

An open letter lists more than 100 cases of assault and harassment allegedly carried out against girls by ‘predators’ at the top private school

 

Paywall removed

https://www.removepaywall.com/search?url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/education/article/dulwich-college-turns-boys-into-sexual-abusers-former-pupil-claims-vv8s6nxpx

 

[DulvilleRes]

9 hours ago, Tinkerbellionx_ said:

I guess the flip side to this is that DC, Alleyns  and JAGS offer some of their estate and teachers to the local schools. Also DC has a huge number of bursaries/scholarships that fees go some way towards.

That is a fair point. However my understanding is at some point in the 19th century the Estate got the terms of the Edward Alleyn will changed to enable it to help support the private schools. The current Dulwich College itself was built on the proceeds of the land the Estate sold to the railway companies.

Clearly I can't second guess what Edward Alleyn would want 400 years on, but I do think it is an open question as to whether things are the right way round - overwhelmingly the proceeds of his wealth supporting privileged education, and some bits round the edges going towards state provision/ private scholarships. 

[Sue]

4 hours ago, CPR Dave said:

I'm not sure I believe any of the stuff in the OP about Farage. 

I think it's just a hit job and it's pretty weak at that.

Why would so many people who were at school with him be saying the same  things?

Do you think they have all made it up, independently of each other?

Why would they?

[CPR Dave]

It looks to me like it's one person out of hundreds. I'm not convinced.

[Sue]

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/nov/19/nigel-farage-allegations-racist-behaviour-school?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

[CPR Dave]

Fair enough, maybe there is more to it then.

[Earl Aelfheah]

14 hours ago, CPR Dave said:

I'm not sure I believe any of the stuff in the OP about Farage. 

I think it's just a hit job and it's pretty weak at that.

I totally disagree. If you listen to the Guardian podcast, which speaks with the reporter and one of those on the receiving end of Farage’s abuse, it is very balanced and credible.

It is also notable that we have a letter written in 1981 by an English teacher at DC, begging the head teacher not to allow farage to become a school prefect due to his ‘fascist tendencies’. That is contemporaneous evidence of his racism at the time.

Edited 3 hours ago by Earl Aelfheah

[Penguin68]

2 hours ago, Earl Aelfheah said:

’. That is contemporaneous evidence of his racism at the time.

Racism and fascism are not the same thing. There are for instance left wing anti semites - sadly rather too many in the Labour Party IMHO. Indeed Labour has always had a bedrock of racism in some areas, I recall many trades unions strongly resisting employment of both people from the Indian sub continent and the West Indies. And teenage posturing is by no means always a gateway to knowing what the adult will emerge as. And the Guardian as a source of information and analysis is hardly an unbiased source in this instance, as the Telegraph wouldn't be in arguing the opposite. 

[Earl Aelfheah]

11 minutes ago, Penguin68 said:

Racism and fascism are not the same thing. There are for instance left wing anti semites - sadly rather too many in the Labour Party IMHO. Indeed Labour has always had a bedrock of racism in some areas, I recall many trades unions strongly resisting employment of both people from the Indian sub continent and the West Indies. And teenage posturing is by no means always a gateway to knowing what the adult will emerge as. And the Guardian as a source of information and analysis is hardly an unbiased source in this instance, as the Telegraph wouldn't be in arguing the opposite. 

They also described him as 'racist' https://www.scribd.com/doc/169454715/Nigel-Farage-1981-school-letter

One of his teachers was reported as describing his "publicly professed racist and neo-fascist views". This was in 1981, and in writing - it cannot possibly be said to have been someone trying to undermine him in a future role as a politician (unless they had a time machine or some sort of clairvoyance). I think it is fairly clear that he displayed racist behaviour as a young man of 17 / 18. 

Whilst he is now more careful / guarded in his language, I suspect not much has changed based on his preoccupations and rhetoric.

Edited 36 minutes ago by Earl Aelfheah