We are delighted to present this issue of The Week Independent Schools Guide. There's no denying this has been an incredibly challenging period for the UK's independent schools. The imposition of VAT on school fees, rising NI costs and the loss of charitable business rates have left some schools, particularly the smaller ones that don't bag the headlines or student numbers, facing an existential threat.
There have been some heartbreaking closures in recent months, but the sector is also adapting; for a while this year, barely a week went by without news of a merger between schools or school groups. Elizabeth Ivens has written about the merger mania in this issue, why it is happening, what it could mean for the sector and what parents think about it.
Like many, I was stunned by the Netflix drama Adolescence, but also, like many, baulked at the idea that this was somehow the defining cultural touchstone on the subject of the 'manosphere'. I certainly didn't agree with the prime minister's belief that it should be mandatory viewing in all our schools. I have long felt queasy about the punitive term 'toxic masculinity', as it is a heavy yoke for young men to bear. So, I wasn't overly keen to investigate the issue of how schools are coping with the so-called 'crisis in masculinity' – but I am very pleased I did. Because there is so much enlightened, emotionally literate, life-affirming work in this sphere, being led by independent schools. And, as we go to press, the government has announced that all schools in England should teach children how to recognise and act against misogyny. The final draft of the new relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) guidance also states pupils must be taught "how to identify and learn from positive male role models", surely a positive step forwards.
But let me leave you with an anecdote, passed on by Chloe Combi, author, speaker and futurist, during an electrifying presentation on the online world at a conference at Downe House School. While in Silicon Valley, she asked a senior figure at Meta what had been the company's most successful commodity to date. Their reply? "Teenage rage and pain." Consider that for a moment; a leader of the company that owns Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and more said, off-the-record, that what this global behemoth has monetised most successfully is the pain of young people – our children. Perhaps worth thinking about on your next scroll through Insta?
Amanda Constance is the editor of The Week’s Independent Schools Guide. Read the full publication below or click here.
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Columbia: A justified surrender to Trump?Feature Columbia agrees to a $221M settlement and new restrictions to restore federal funding
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