Schooling for Empire: A Critical Examination of the Relationship Between Schools and the British Empire

In June, St Paul’s, in partnership with Rugby and the Schools of Empire Project, hosted pupils from schools from around the country to participate in a series of discussions on the theme of ‘Schooling for Empire’.

Nearly one hundred pupils were in attendance, with over twenty presenting their original research, often based on work they had undertaken in their school’s archives. Tom B (Lower Eighth), for instance, drew on debate minutes to explore the impact of the First World War on the values and mental world of Paulines in that period. Pupils from Winchester critiqued the school’s famous War Cloister, asking whether it was a tribute to the fallen or to the Empire. Ela from SPGS examined how the elite British curriculum operated to legitimate the stifling of the Indian subject (and used her research to win an essay competition shortly afterwards). In short, the day was a brilliant demonstration of scholarship from all pupils involved. Plans are already afoot for another conference in 2027.

Mr Oliver Wheatley, Head of History and Politics