Do Boarding Schools Create Bad Leaders? An Article by Nick Duffell
23rd July 2014
In Britain the link between private boarding school education and leadership is unbreakable. It seems that, such as our current Prime Minister, paying out for a child to be sent to boarding school and then on the path to Oxbridge means Parliament will welcome them with open arms as successful leaders.
However, as Nick Duffell explains, it seems the psychological impact of the loss of family and adjustment to boarding school life leaves these individuals ill prepared for adult relationships, causing them to perpetuate a culture of elitism, bullying and misogyny into the general public. Nick Duffell’s studies show children survive boarding school by cutting off their feelings, without a strong family unit they fail to properly mature, making them seem boyish. Two thirds of the cabinet come from this background, meaning that the children still inside our leaders are effectively running our country.
This is cleverly covered by the projection of confidence when in fact underneath lies brittleness and defensiveness. Neuroscience has shown people cannot make good decisions without emotional information, nor grow a flexible brain without good attachments. It seems the school curriculum of our leaders focused on survival not empathy, meaning it is unlikely they will make good decisions especially for those less fortunate than themselves. To change today’s politics it seems we must change our education system. Can we really afford to sacrifice anymore children for the sake of a second rate leadership?
Published in the Guardian on 10th of June 2014 by Psychotherapist Nick Duffell