Jayne is a girl's name.

River ,'Trash'


All Ogle, No Cash -- It's Not Just Annoying, It's Un-American

Discussion of episodes currently airing in Un-American locations (anything that's aired in Australia is fair game), as well as anything else the Un-Americans feel like talking about or we feel like asking them. Please use the show discussion threads for any current-season discussion.

Add yourself to the Buffista map while you're here by updating your profile.


Rebecca Lizard - Jan 11, 2003 6:09:27 pm PST #1276 of 9843
You sip / say it's your crazy / straw say it's you're crazy / as you bicycle your soul / with beauty in your basket

Because UK public schools are open for anyone who want to pay for them, I believe, was the logic?


Hil R. - Jan 11, 2003 6:10:33 pm PST #1277 of 9843
Sometimes I think I might just move up to Vermont, open a bookstore or a vegan restaurant. Adam Schlesinger, z''l

Because British public schools aren't public, they are private, I believe...

Which is my question. Why are they called "public"? What were they being differentiated from?


CaBil - Jan 11, 2003 6:13:40 pm PST #1278 of 9843
Remember, remember/the fifth of November/the Gunpowder Treason and Plot/I see no reason/Why Gunpowder Treason/Should ever be forgot.

As comparision to US public schools, which were publically funded


Hil R. - Jan 11, 2003 6:18:46 pm PST #1279 of 9843
Sometimes I think I might just move up to Vermont, open a bookstore or a vegan restaurant. Adam Schlesinger, z''l

As comparision to US public schools, which were publically funded

I'm not sure what you're getting at here. I'm pretty sure they've been called public schools since long before the US had a public school system (probably since long before there was a US.) What I'm asking is, what other sort of school was around back then that they had to call places like Eton "public schools" rather than just "schools," and what differentiated them from those others that made "public" the logical choice of term?


CaBil - Jan 11, 2003 6:24:06 pm PST #1280 of 9843
Remember, remember/the fifth of November/the Gunpowder Treason and Plot/I see no reason/Why Gunpowder Treason/Should ever be forgot.

Schools that required a certain social standing to attend, rather than being open to those who have the funds. No sons of wealthly merchants in those schools, for instance...


Fay - Jan 11, 2003 6:24:46 pm PST #1281 of 9843
"Fuck Western ideologically-motivated gender identification!" Sulu gasped, and came.

What I'm asking is, what other sort of school was around back then that they had to call places like Eton "public schools" rather than just "schools," and what differentiated them from those others that made "public" the logical choice of term?

The alternative, I have always assumed, was a personal tutor.


Hil R. - Jan 11, 2003 6:26:10 pm PST #1282 of 9843
Sometimes I think I might just move up to Vermont, open a bookstore or a vegan restaurant. Adam Schlesinger, z''l

Oh! That makes sense. Thanks.


Hil R. - Jan 11, 2003 6:28:13 pm PST #1283 of 9843
Sometimes I think I might just move up to Vermont, open a bookstore or a vegan restaurant. Adam Schlesinger, z''l

OK, I did some actual research (well, googling), and Eton's website says:

Until 1902 there were no publicly-supported secondary schools in England. Schools were either privately-owned (by an individual or family) or ‘endowed’ – that is, deriving at least part of their income from an endowment, often in the form of land, and run by some sort of Governing Body. In both cases fees were charged. The endowed schools were known as ‘public schools’ to distinguish them from the ‘private schools’ being run for an individual’s private profit. In that sense Eton has always been a Public School.


Fay - Jan 11, 2003 6:28:20 pm PST #1284 of 9843
"Fuck Western ideologically-motivated gender identification!" Sulu gasped, and came.

Harrow , for example, was founded in 1572. There wasn't a UK-wide Education system at that point, as far as I'm aware, so "public" wouldn't have had any connotations of being open to everyone.

I may be talking out of my arse here, of course. Wouldn't be the first time.


Fiona - Jan 12, 2003 12:22:17 am PST #1285 of 9843

Until 1902 there were no publicly-supported secondary schools in England.

Scotland, by contrast, had a very progressive and inclusive educational policy since the early 19th Century, one of the best in the world. (Which may be one reason why so many important things were invented by Scots.) Took the poor English a while to catch up, as so often....

Yes, in Britain, the opposite of a public school which only a small percentage of the population visit is a state-funded school which is open to everyone. Just another one of our little quirks.