Class, Globalisation and the “Corruption” of Britain’s Public Schools

A number of core themes are addressed in this short opinion piece by the Telegraph's Damian Thompson in which he argues that the traditional ethos of public schools is being "corrupted" by the the growing influence of very rich foreigners.Thompson accepts that public schools in the UK have always been happy to accept students from overseas and the substantial income that brings. However, he argues that the process of globalisation and rapid economic growth experienced in emerging markets such as Russia has created a new breed of foreign student:"for the past 20 years, globalisation has been sharpening the greed of a certain sort of public schoolboy. Often this is combined with vague benevolence, but it’s the benevolence of the billionaire smirking as he writes a cheque rather than that of the volunteer whose aim is to liberate ordinary people."Thompson also argues that "minor" public schools have taken advantage of this change and now actively seek to exploit the parents or guardians of overseas students.