The Earl of March, who owns the Goodwood Estate in West Sussex, said recently that he ‘hated’ Eton and ‘couldn’t wait to leave’. This came as a surprise to the interviewer, who immediately asked Charles March why on earth he then packed his own three sons off to his horrible alma mater. ‘Amazing, isn’t it?’ came the reply. ‘It’s completely different now to how it was in my day. Fathers and sons have a completely different relationship — warmer, loving. People I was at school with often barely had relationships with their fathers. Mine was different; my parents have always been modern, liberal thinkers.’
It didn’t make much sense. So what, really, was his problem? What had caused his unhappiness at school? Was he bullied? Serially naughty? Out of his depth?
I doubt it. More likely, it was the relationship with his housemaster that was at fault — and probably his relationship with the majority of his teachers too, and his dame (matron), games master and maybe his peers.
Because where things today are in stark contrast to the 1960s, when young Charlie was toiling over his Latin primer, can be summed up in two words: pastoral care. Yes, the phrase comes across as a little drippy and in the ‘politically correct’ spectrum, but its total absence in days gone by is not something schools can be proud of. No doubt there’s something to be said for a crash course in stiffening the upper lip, and maybe there’s no great harm in being thrown in at the deep end and expected to swim — it may come in handy in later life. But children really will do better with a sympathetic shoulder to lean on.
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