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

[Mav]

1 hour ago, HeadNun said:

True - many public schools feature regularly. Dulwich does stand out as one of schools that gets frequent mentions and nothing seemed to come of it. I think there was an investigation into a pupil at another London fee paying school, somewhere west, can't recall the name now. 

That wasn’t my point. My point is that Everyone’s Invited has submissions from across the full spectrum of educational establishments: state and private; junior, senior and universities. There are 108 pages of institutions with about 80 institutions per page. To say it is Dulwich College and maybe some other fee paying schools is wide of the mark in the extreme. 

[HeadNun]

I know, back when it was in the news, I read most of it. I said many public schools feature, I didn't say it was exclusively public schools. And Dulwich was one of the schools that stood out to me because I know it, and some of the stories I read stuck in my memory.

[Pugwash]

In the 1960s my husband went to a private day school, Although he was a bright child having won a couple of scholarships to other private schools, his father chose this particular one. He went from 11 - 14 years and left as unhappy with the set up which was based on ethnicity. All boys with both parents English were placed in the A stream regardless of academic ability, Boys with an Irish background were placed in B stream. All others were C streamed - this included boys with a Black or Asian  background, mixed race or mixed European background. His schooldays came to an end when he wished to learn Latin and he was told that no boy in C stream could participate in this subject. His father (not English) was very upset at this and withdrew him from the school and sent him  to a country boarding school.  The experiences he had with his schooling culminated in a breakdown of his mental health and several months in Maudsley. He had low self esteem and it took several decades for him to understand that it was the school system and not his ability which had failed him

[Jenijenjen]

Oh my goodness, this is really shocking 

[Sephiroth]

Not especially shocking - not to immigrants like me anyway 

but a dreadful experience for your husband Pugwash

[Dogkennelhillbilly]

2 hours ago, Mav said:

 To say it is Dulwich College and maybe some other fee paying schools is wide of the mark in the extreme. 

No doubt the schools in Harrogate are being discussed on the East Harrogate Forum or whatever. Dulwich College is being discussed because it's local. Saying "ooh, there were loads of schools mentioned" is a bit dismissive. It was Dulwich College that referred sex abuse allegations about pupils to the police and Dulwich College that used the spectre of the police to suppress dissent. 🤔

[ianr]

I've looked up previous media coverage and gather that the school warned pupils of the risk of police 'fines' for assembly under the extant Covid regulations.  Don't you think they might have felt it a duty, to both pupils and parents, to do so?

Edited December 8, 2025 by ianr

[Mav]

3 hours ago, Dogkennelhillbilly said:

Saying "ooh, there were loads of schools mentioned" is a bit dismissive.

That’s interesting. I’d have thought limiting the conversation to a single school or small group of schools is far more dismissive of the true extent of the problem.

 

 

[Dogkennelhillbilly]

OK - what would you like to say about how schools outside Dulwich have addressed bigoted or predatory behaviour by the students in the past or the present? It might make an interesting comparison to what Dulwich College has or hasn't done.

[Guest]

Discrimination isn't just through race, gender, age or sexuality. It can and IS because you have a surname that is not British, which they can't pronounce and then they attempt to discriminate until you pull them up.

And it still happens in 21st C England, even though but you where born, educated and worked here all your life and speak perfect English.  That's discrimination. 

Edited December 8, 2025 by jazzer

[malumbu]

Fair point.  Most people can't pronounce Farage (as in rhymes with garage). Perhaps that explains his behaviour as a child as he was upset that people pronounced it in the continental way.  Maybe that is the reason we had Brexit.  Shame schools didn't take a more pastoral approach in those days.  Maybe he just needs a hug.

[Guest]

I wasn't referring to Farage. What I said is what I sometimes have to contend with, even TODAY. 

[Sue]

7 hours ago, jazzer said:

I wasn't referring to Farage. What I said is what I sometimes have to contend with, even TODAY. 

It's about othering (and also stereotyping), isn't it.

Unfortunately it seems to be a sort of human knee jerk reaction to perceived differences, which sadly has awful consequences for individuals and groups of people.

Unfortunately also some insecure people bait and bully other people because it makes them feel superior. 

[Dogkennelhillbilly]

"What we can unequivocally state is that the behaviours described are entirely at odds with the Dulwich college of today.”

...so says the head honcho of Dulwich College today. Obviously actions speak louder than words in this area.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/dec/11/dulwich-college-head-responds-to-claims-of-teenage-racism-by-nigel-farage

[Pugwash]

As previously said regarding discrimination during the 1960s - husband went to a south London private school (not Dulwich College).

 He may have faired better at Dulwich College! 

[Dogkennelhillbilly]

In answer to the original question, the position of a teacher who worked at Dulwich College and raised concerns about Farage at the time, seems to be "yes - Dulwich College did tolerate bigotry and racism, and it was at the direction of the headteacher".

"I had previously taught in a large, culturally-diverse comprehensive school in Brent, with many Jewish colleagues and other staff of colour. It would have been unthinkable for such behaviours to have been tolerated there, or to have gone unpunished."

https://www.theguardian.com/news/ng-interactive/2025/dec/28/of-course-he-abused-pupils-ex-dulwich-teacher-speaks-out-about-farage-racism-claims

[malumbu]

I wonder where he could be deported to, Hungary the obvious candidate in Europe, perhaps he would get on well with Modi?

 

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage both said Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood should look at whether Abd El Fattah's citizenship could be revoked to enable his swift removal from the UK.

Farage said in a letter to Mahmood: "It should go without saying that anyone who possesses racist and anti-British views such as those of [Mr Abd El Fattah] should not be allowed into the UK."

So just racists views are ok Nige?

[Dogkennelhillbilly]

On 08/12/2025 at 22:40, Dogkennelhillbilly said:

OK - what would you like to say about how schools outside Dulwich have addressed bigoted or predatory behaviour by the students in the past or the present? It might make an interesting comparison to what Dulwich College has or hasn't done.

Surprising (not surprising at all) that @Mavdidn't have anything to say about how schools other than Dulwich College handled bigotry or abuse, or any other related topic. I suppose they just didn't like Dulwich College being discussed for things that happened at Dulwich College...

Meanwhile, a second person (a pupil this time, and not a teacher) has come forward to say that they wrote to the head teacher of Dulwich College at the time to inform him of Farage's bigoted conduct. It has previously been reported that the head teacher was personally involved in selection of prefects, and that Farage was appointed a prefect.

If the head teacher was aware, and appointed/maintained Farage as prefect regardless instead of taking action, then I think we have the answer to our question: yes, Dulwich College did tolerate pupils' bigotry and racism.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/jan/08/go-back-home-farage-schoolmate-accounts-bring-total-alleging-racist-behaviour-to-34