CURIOUS ENGLISH SCHOOL CUSTOMS

Evening Star, Issue 20510, 14 June 1930, Page 2

CURIOUS ENGLISH SCHOOL CUSTOMS

[Written by L. D. Austin lor the ‘ Evening Stur.’J

The recent references iu the Press to the question of “ fagging ” in English public schools remind one of the peculiar customs and privileges which are of ancient and traditional origin, yet form part of tho ordinary routine at some of the famous colleges, even in these so-called enlightened days. At Eton, for example, February 27 is still called “ Threepenny Day,” as every boy is then presented with a threepenny piece; whilst tho birthday of George the Third (June 4) is always celebrated by aquatic sports and a display of fireworks at night. Tho origin of some other Eton idiosyncrasies is lost in antiquity; for instance, a, new boy must never turn down the qollar oOifejOvercoat nor roll up'his umbrella, also ho is compelled to keep the bottoms of his trousers-, turned up and the lowest button on his I waistcoat always unfastened, and when proceeding into Windsor Town he must perforce walk only on the right-hand pavement. Furthermore, tho newcomer has to acquire the peculiar vocabulary of his schoolfellows, oven as his did in the centuries gone past. “ Firelags ” are the boys who are detailed to look after the fires in tho “ chambers ” —i.e,, the large rooms in tho college subdivided into cubicles or “stalls”: a “tug” is a scholarship winner; the wives of the various house masters are all “ dames ” “ dead man’s hole ” is a fives court ; “ swog ” means a lesson in Greek, and so on. At Rugby School'the new boys are still compelled to sing for the amusement of their seniors, oven as their forefathers did hundreds of years ago; one after another they stand upon a table, a burning “ dip ” in each hand, and sing their best—or worst. If tho performance is not deemed satisfactory the unfortunate vocalist is .forced to drink a tumblerful of salt water wdiieh has been stirred up with tho remains of the tallow dips 1 Another Rugby custom prohibits any but Sixth Form boys from walking about the school grounds in groups of more than’ three at one time. At Harrow, in addition to the extraordinary straw headgear, it is compulsory for the trouser bottoms to bo turned up in some classrooms and down in others, w'hilst in certain parts of the college oiily the. prefects arc alI lowed to whistle.

The boys of Wes tin ins tor School possess constitutional privileges that grant them tho right of attending debates in the Lords and Commons without tho 'usual preliminary formula of -gaining admittance; it is at this school, top, that, tfio ancient ceremony of tossing tho pancake is harried out in the classrooms every Shrove Tuesday. 'At the Bluecoat School, otherwise known as Christ’s Hospital, there are observed to this day some quaint old customs, amongst them being the presentation of monetary gifts to the 'scholars from the Lord Mayor of London on certain days in the year, besides supplies of cakes, buns, pies, etc. ; the sums;incL-ding one guinea to each senior or “ Grecian,” half a guinea to probationers, to mow ms half a crown, each, while the rank and file are handed ono shilling per boy. But Winchester School has tho most notorious reputation for its treatment of new boys, the- severity of which to New Zealand minds, at least—is inexplicably barbarous, not- to say infamous. Each new arrival is not only obliged to stand upon a desk in tho main schoolroom and submit to being pelted, with any missile that may be thrown —usually of tho most offensive nature procurable; but it the least symptom of flinching in the victim is observed he is seized and branded on tho backs of bis hands with a red-hot piece of wood. In the face of such hideous malprac-tices-..as these it would seem that an outcry against tho comparatively puerile custom -of ' fagging ” is like straining at a camel to swallow a gnat. Let us be thankful our New Zealand seminaries are not hampered by tho burden of tradition.