Equality! Where is it, if not in education? Equal rights! They cannot exist without equality of instruction.” Frances Wright
Reform UK and the Conservative Party both campaign for a restoration of “traditional British values”. Reform UK’s social agenda includes “patriotic history” and a values-driven reinterpretation of British heritage. The Tory’s emphasise traditional institutions that protect heritage, such as respect for the monarchy and defence of the Crown as part of British identity.
There are, of course, other factors to do with “traditional British values” and “British heritage” that both parties subscribe to, but I want to concentrate on the Monarchy and the class aspect of being British.
The reason this is important is because the British people have always been portrayed, and in many ways correctly, as being subservient to the upper class. I don’t believe we Brits are inherently subservient, but Britain has long-standing institutions, norms, and hierarchies that encourage deference. The result is a society that often acts deferential even if at a personal level they don’t feel inferior.
Britain has a historically entrenched hierarchy. We had monarchs claiming divine authority, a landed aristocracy controlling political power, and a rigid class system tied to birth, accent and schooling. Our traditional institutions - private schools, the Oxbridge pipelines into politics, law, and the civil service, land ownership patterns where aristocratic families still hold vast estates, and the monarchy as a symbolic apex – all bolster and normalise upper-class dominance and working class compliance.
Many will argue that this view is outdated and no longer describes the realities of modern Britain. There would be some truth in this criticism. There is a strong anti-elite sentiment among the population, cynicism towards politicians, distrust of institutions, and the rise of populist movement such as Reform UK. These factors, critics would argue, all point to the opposite of what I am arguing.
Reform UK may use populist rhetoric but none of its policies is anti-monarchy or anti- upper class. In fact, its economic policies, donor networks, cultural stances and institutional loyalties place it firmly within the pro-monarchy, pro-establishment, pro-upper-class tradition of British right-wing politics.
Independent reporting shows Reform UK is heavily funded by millionaires, hedge-fund figures, fossil-fuel investors, offshore linked donors and high-net worth individuals. This donor profile is upper class, financial–elite and establishment aligned. Is it any wonder that Reform UK’s cultural message defends traditional institutions, opposes radical structural change, and frames elites as “patriotic” if aligned with Reform’s worldview, and targets bureaucratic elites and not economic elites?
Heading this hierarchy of privilege and protected interests is the Royal Family. Let us take the decision of Prince William and his wife the Princess of Wales to send their son Prince George to Eton. By sending their son to Eton they are unapologetically embracing and promoting elite reproduction. They are telling Britain that the monarchy intends to remain socially anchored in the traditional upper-class institutions that have historically produced the country’s ruling-class.
Eton College is Britain’s most famous elite boys’ boarding school — a 600‑year‑old institution that functions as a training ground for the country’s ruling class. Fees are in excess of £60,000 per year and this pays for an environment where the male off-spring of the super-wealthy can socially network and acquire the cultural capital of their class - accent, mannerisms, confidence, entitlement – before moving on to Oxbridge and from there to an elite career.
The decision to send Prince George to Eton has been broadly welcomed by the British press and politicians. Sky News has framed the move in terms of a carefully deliberated decision based on Prince Williams’s own experience at Eton and its convenient closeness to Windsor Castle. (news.sky.com: 16/06/26) The Independent follows the same line of argument. (16/06/26) GB News reports it as a natural continuation of elite royal schooling, and emphasised Eton’s role in preparing Prince George as a future king. Needless to say the Express is strongly supportive of the move, framing it as sensible and traditional.
None of this is surprising. Wealth buys privilege, and Britain’s ruling elite has long used their resources to ensure their children inherit the same entrenched advantages and positions of power as their parents. But does it have to be this way?
In Finland charging tuition fees for compulsory schooling (ages 7-16) is illegal and banned by law. Finland’s constitution demands equal access to education. Charging fees creates class-segregated schooling, which the Finish people explicitly reject. Finland’s educational system is built on the principle that children should not be segregated by parental income or position in society. Schools cannot compete for customers – the goal of Finish education is cohesion, not segregation.
All schools follow the same national core curriculum, preventing “elite vs sink” school stratification. Comprehensives must accept all local children and selection by wealth or ability is banned. Finland, unlike Britain, sees education as a public investment NOT the private purchase of privilege. They argue that a highly and equally educated population leads to higher productivity (Britain take note). This in turn leads to higher tax revenues and therefore more money to spend on public services and welfare.
Whereas Britain has 20+ distinct school systems – ranging from private fee-paying schools like Eton to faith schools – Finland has only one. The Finish model is built around uniformity, equality and simplicity. Britain’s educational system promotes and protects differences, breeds inequality and is structurally complex.
Is it any wonder that we are reading headlines like this today?
“White working-class children failed by England’s school system, inquiry finds” (Guardian: 29/06/26)
Until we treat education as a shared, unifying experience rather than a system that divides society, nothing will change.
NB: It is interesting to note that Finland holds the top position in the World Happiness Index and has done so for the past 8 years.