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Bullying image of boarding schools is false, finds survey The public's image of boarding schools is “very negative, with people imagining lots of bullying, poor care and extreme homesickness”, according to a report. But having carried out what it called the first major study into life in boarding schools, the Government-backed Commission for Social Care Inspection concluded that the public was wrong in all respects. When a nationally representative sample of boarders and their parents were asked what they thought were the worst features of boarding, bullying was barely mentioned and only one boarder in 12 listed homesickness as being a problem. They were more concerned about “restrictions on their freedom” and the quality of the food. An overwhelming majority of both pupils and parents, asked to rate how boarding schools looked after their charges, said “very well” or “quite well”. Not one parent gave an answer indicating that care was worse than “well enough”. “Boarding schools come out very well from this survey,” said Dr Roger Morgan, the children's rights director. “Neither boarders nor their parents identified any single major changes that need to be made. “Boarding schools are seen as offering a positive social life, with plenty of friends and activities, often across cultures, and with strong benefits of learning social skills and independence.” Dr Morgan, who is mainly concerned with children in council care, said his “two big messages” were that boarding did not suit everyone and that it was vital to choose the right school for the child. One parent's response to the survey was: “The entire educational system would benefit from fewer questionnaires of this nature.” The Independent Schools Council said: “This is a major landmark in the modern history of boarding education. It marks official recognition of the process that has transformed boarding schools into 21st century institutions.”
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