This hugely provocative read challenges the current English public school system (public = private in the UK - aka you pay for them). It outlines the origins of public schools, institutions established as charities to provide education to the poorest and least able to access education. Verkaik then covers how this historical origin has developed into the public school system now present - where annual fees can be significantly more than the average annual income, where bursaries are given to a tiny proportion of students, and often to middle-class families rather than those who really need them.
There are some shocking facts about the number of positions of power held by people who have been privately educated in fee-paying schools. Boris Johnson is the 20th UK prime minister to be educated at Eton. LSE research found alumni of a group of just 9 public schools were 94x more likely to reach positions of power in British society. He talks about the disproportionate amount of public-school places secured at Oxbridge. Just 7% of the population attend public schools, but ~40-50% of students at Oxbridge were privately educated.
Although Verkaik’s argument becomes slightly repetitive, it is an important one. There is a huge barrier to state-educated students getting places at Oxbridge and into positions of power in the UK. Those attending public schools are attaining an advantage which is generally perpetuated down generations, and one that is primarily accessible only to families with large expendable income. There is a call for change to the system to establish a level playing field.
