Boarding School at An Early Age is Child Abuse

B2 – Upper Intermediate

A boarding school provides education for pupils who live on the premises. Traditionally, pupils stayed at the school for the length of the term; some schools facilitate returning home every weekend and some welcome day pupils.  The United Kingdom has  a rich history of such schools.

Increasing numbers of children are being educated at boarding schools in the UK.  According to George Monbiot, who still struggles with the emotional impact of being sent away at the age of eight, we must protect children from the damage they can cause. He says if working-class parents did this, there would be an outcry. So why are upper-class parents getting away with what has become a form of acceptable cruelty?

Watch the video and be able to express your position on this topic.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How do you feel about the video? Do you agree with George Monbiot’s argument?
  2. What do you think about boarding schools? Do you know anyone who was boarded or boarding schooled?
  3. Cite some of the pros and cons of sending a very young child to boarding schools.

5.00 avg. rating (93% score) - 1 vote

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2 replies on “Boarding School at An Early Age is Child Abuse”

I completely agree with George’s argument. I think that the 7/8-year old kids need to be with their parents. School is important for them to get an education in the differents subjects but there are other things as important as the education which are not taught aat school but at home. Children need to their parent to confide their inner feelings, emotions, distressful, happiness or sadness. The system in a boarding school is rigid and neither teachers nor tutors will not want and/or be able to attend all the emotional problems which can be risen.
I neither understand the decision of the parents to send their children away. I recognize that it is hard to deal with the kids sometimes, and if the couple are working the whole day the situation can become even more complicated. However, there are other less drastic solutions as contracting a babysitter who took care of them meanwhile the parents are away.
Fortunatelly, I do not know anyone around me who has been educated into a boarding school.
The only pros I can find to be grown up into a boarding school is that the children will be much less sensible to the society cruelty. I mean, they will be capable of facing to the life problems without suffering.

You’ve done it again! Well done. Take a look at how you can improve the following sentences:

School is important for them to get an education in the differents subjects …
> Going to school is important for them so they get educated in different subjects …

be able to attend all the emotional problems which can be risen.
> be able to attend TO all the emotional problems which CHILDREN CAN SUFFER FROM.

Keep up the good job.

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