Latest news with #boardingSchool
Daily Mail
13 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Boarding school gave me PTSD but I locked it away until my daughter started to board. Then it triggered a breakdown that saw me sectioned: DR CATHY WIELD
Lying in the darkness, the loneliness and panic hit. It was terror, mostly, of the dormitory bullies who could strike without warning or reason. Also the cruelty of the matrons, picking up on some minor infringement. And that all-consuming feeling of abandonment. The nightmare of boarding school was beginning, all over again. This may sound familiar to many of the alumni of this very British institution, particularly those who boarded in the 1970s like I did. But the dread and horror I was experiencing was not due to revisiting my own school.
New York Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
A Prep School Predator Haunts Joyce Carol Oates's New Novel
FOX, by Joyce Carol Oates Joyce Carol Oates's impressive and unsettling new novel, 'Fox,' concerns the far-reaching damage unleashed by a self-serving sociopath. Francis Harlan Fox, a predatory English teacher at an elite boarding school in southern New Jersey, uses his authority to sexually abuse his adolescent female students, and manipulates everyone around him — his few friends, parents, the school headmistress, the legal system — to create cover. His galactic indifference to other people's suffering is horrifying yet remarkably engrossing. When an unidentified corpse, torn apart by animals, is discovered in Fox's car at the bottom of a ravine, the mystery provides a narrative throughline that Oates expertly uses to toggle back and forth between the past and present. It won't be long before most readers will find themselves hoping that the unlucky party is Fox, and even wish that he could have died more than once. 'Lolita' casts a long shadow over this book. Fox's office neighbor is named Quilty, and Fox himself, protesting too much, is an outspoken hater of Nabokov's novel. The attention given to the perspectives of Fox's victims can be seen as a rejoinder to Humbert Humbert's narrative monopoly in 'Lolita.' One of these victims, Mary Ann Healy, is a scholarship student with a rough family life, and the portrait that Oates draws of her is particularly affecting. After entering puberty at an early age, Mary Ann finds herself bewilderingly and crushingly ostracized by male relatives, bullied by schoolmates and admonished by her fearful mother. 'Freak! Freaky! — Dirty girl,' she's told. 'In dreams as in actual life she heard these words which were sometimes taunts, sometimes accusations, sometimes uttered in vehement disgust but sometimes, which frightened most, in a kind of reluctant and resentful awe.' She is exactly the sort of student who desperately needs a safe, nurturing influence. Instead, she gets Mr. Fox. Mary Ann becomes conspicuously infatuated with him, but Fox, seeing her more as a threat to his cover than potential quarry, shuns her and sends her spiraling out of school and out of town altogether. Hauntingly, the novel does not resolve her fate. Oates is (and I write this as a fan) not known for her moderation, so her restraint here is notable. She leaves it to the reader's imagination to consider Mary Ann's future, though it's hard to be optimistic about her chances. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
BBC News
12-06-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Legal win for son tricked into moving to Africa by parents
A teenager who was tricked into going to boarding school in Africa has won a significant legal victory against his own 14-year-old boy, who cannot be identified, was taken from London to Ghana in March 2024 after being told a relative was ill. In fact, his parents wanted to get him out of London as they feared he was being drawn into criminal and homesick in Ghana, the boy found lawyers and brought a case against his parents to the High Court in London, which ruled against him in February. On Thursday, he won his appeal, so the case will be reheard. The most senior judge in the Family Division, Sir Andrew McFarlane, said there had been confusion in the previous decision."We have become more and more concerned as to the exercise the judge undertook," he added."For those reasons - we are agreed remittal should be allowed."He urged the family to find a solution through constructive dialogue. At the hearing, the boy's barrister, Deirdre Fottrell KC, said he is "desperate" to return to the UK."He is culturally displaced and alienated," she said."He considers himself abandoned by his family. He feels he is a British boy, a London boy."The boy remains in Ghana and has been attending a day school there. His solicitor, James Netto, described the appeal ruling as a "hugely significant" decision that would "resonate across international family law." He said: "We are very pleased indeed that the Court of Appeal has allowed our client's appeal, and has recognised the critical importance of listening to and assessing the voices of young people at the heart of legal proceedings that profoundly affect their lives."The parents' barrister, Rebecca Foulkes, said that staying in Ghana was the "least harmful" option for the boy."The parents found themselves in a wholly invidious decision when they made the decision they made," she said. "Ghana provided a safe haven, separate from those who exposed him to risk."The least harmful option is for him to remain in Ghana."The case centres on the question of parental responsibility, and whether the parents acted unlawfully by sending their son to boarding school without his boy previously told the court that he felt like he was "living in hell". He said he was "mocked" at the school in Ghana and "could also barely understand what was going on".During the previous judgement, High Court judge Mr Justice Hayden said the parents' wish for their son to move to Ghana was "driven by their deep, obvious and unconditional love".He found that the boy, who had lived in the UK since birth, was at risk of suffering greater harm by returning to said that the boy's parents believe "and in my judgement with reason" that their son has "at very least peripheral involvement with gang culture and has exhibited an unhealthy interest in knives".Sir Andrew said the case will now be reheard by a different judge, with the next hearing planned to take place in the next few weeks.A full decision will be given in writing at a later date.
Daily Mail
07-06-2025
- Daily Mail
Princess Diana's brother Earl Spencer 'frustrated at pace of probe into claims he was abused at boarding school in the 1970s'
Princess Diana 's brother is understood to be frustrated at how long police are taking to investigate claims he was sexually abused at boarding school. Grandmother Sally Jane Carr was arrested almost exactly a year ago after a Mail on Sunday probe identified her as the matron Earl Spencer alleges he and other boys were molested by in the 1970s. Ms Carr, 68, was last weekend seen walking her dog near her terraced home in the Midlands. In his memoir, A Very Private School, Earl Spencer, 61, told how a matron groomed him and other boys at Maidwell Hall preparatory school in Northamptonshire. Police announced they had opened an investigation on June 10 last year and the MoS understands Ms Carr was arrested the next day. She was released on conditional bail. In January, Northamptonshire Police confirmed its probe had widened, with another ex-pupil claiming to have been abused. The MoS understands Earl Spencer met detectives this year to give a statement about his allegations. But one ex-pupil at the school said the Earl has grown frustrated at the pace of their probe and is concerned they are 'dragging their feet'. In his memoir, the Earl, who attended the school near Market Harborough from the age of eight to 13, said the matron, whom he did not name, had 'first kissed me on the lips' before she 'promoted me to the second rank of her reverse harem: those she intimately touched' Northamptonshire Police said: 'Investigations of this nature are complex and often take this amount of time due to the large amount of information that needs to be collated and processed.' In his memoir, the Earl, who attended the school near Market Harborough from the age of eight to 13, said the matron, whom he did not name, had 'first kissed me on the lips' before she 'promoted me to the second rank of her reverse harem: those she intimately touched'. He wrote that he had established the matron married at least twice but he was unable to find her, suspecting she had moved abroad or was dead. The MoS was able to establish the woman was Ms Carr and that she became a nurse looking after patients with severe mental illness.
Malay Mail
03-06-2025
- General
- Malay Mail
Institut auf dem Rosenberg Opens 2026/27 Admissions, Emphasizing Diversity and Individuality Over Sole Academic Merit
ST. GALLEN, SWITZERLAND - Newsaktuell – 3 June 2025 - Institut auf dem Rosenberg , recently ranked as the "Best Boarding School in the World" by Premium Europe, announces the opening of its admissions cycle for the 2026/27 academic year. With all grades currently operating on a waitlist basis, the school continues to attract exceptional applicants, with only a select few gaining direct admission"Academic excellence is fundamental, but it's the unique personalities, talents, and perspectives that truly enrich our community," said Anita Gademann, Board Member and Head of Innovation. "We seek students who not only excel in academics but also bring distinctive qualities that contribute to a vibrant and forward-thinking environment."Rosenberg's commitment to individualized education is evident in its unparalleled Talent & Enrichment Programme. Offering over 100 courses – from robotics and artificial intelligence to fashion design and international law – the programme provides students with real-world experiences beyond traditional school's state-of-the-art facilities, including the Creative Lab and Future Park, support this innovative curriculum, fostering an environment where creativity and critical thinking a student body representing over 60 nationalities and an average class size of eight, Rosenberg ensures personalized attention and a multicultural learning experience. The school's Individual Development Plan (IDP®) further tailors education to each student's strengths and valuing character and diversity alongside academic prowess, Institut auf dem Rosenberg continues to set the standard for education, cultivating a community where future leaders #InstitutaufdemRosenberg The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. About Institut auf dem Rosenberg Founded in 1889, Institut auf dem Rosenberg is a prestigious Swiss boarding school located in St. Gallen. Known for its individualized education, innovative Talent & Enrichment Programme, and cutting-edge facilities, Rosenberg prepares students aged 6 to 19 for success in a rapidly evolving global landscape. For more information, please visit
