ETON COLLEGE

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 555.

The King's College of Eton , beside Windsor, was founded in 1440 by the young King Henry VI. The Founder intended that it should provide accommodation and education for 70 poor scholars, and supply his other foundation, King's College in Cambridge, with scholars. Other boys were allowed to attend lessons living in the town.

In the 17th century it became fashionable for the nobility to send their sons to Eton College. They lived in the town in boarding houses, which later developed into present arrangement of the College with 24 boarding houses. They brought their own tutors with them, and today each boy has a master who acts as a tutor, in addition to other teachers.

On arrival at Eton each boy is allocated a tutor, and three years later he is free to choose another tutor, who generally teaches one of the subjects he is studying for A-level. The value of the tutorial system is that it ensures that each boy receives individual attention.

By 1766 there were 450 boys in addition to 50 scholars. Eton remained ultra-conservative, and thus retained various features of a medieval school, the most notable of which was the huge size of the classes.

But as there already were 786 boys in 1841, far-reaching reforms were undertaken by his successors , who were mainly concerned with improving the lot of the scholars, whose life at that time was very hard indeed. The time table was revised to include Math, Science and Modern Languages; the transformation of Eton from a medieval school into a modern one was effected. Many new assistant masters were recruited, and new schoolrooms were built in order to reduce the size of the classes. The last decade of the 19thcentury saw vast improvements in many aspects of school life, from modernization of the boy's houses, to the building of a new chemistry block, a school theatre, and a Design and Technology Centre.

Originally life was very difficult for the scholars: they all lived together in Long Chamber, sleeping three to a bed, and there was a considerable amount of bullying and ill- treatment of the junior boys, especially after they were locked in from 6.30 p.m. every evening. They had to be in the school by 6 a.m. and worked roughly nine hours a day, but the only subjects they learnt were Latin and Greek. The older boys ruled over the younger ones, and it was here that the tradition of flagging grew up, the younger boys being obliged to do menial tasks, such as cooking or cleaning boots.

Today there are still 70 scholars; 15 are selected every year in June on the basis of a competitive examination. The number of the boys has now risen to 1200 , and they live in 24 separate boarding houses, each run by a House Master, with an average of 50 boys in each house. Each boy has his own room. Each house also has a resident matron, known as the Dame, and respectfully addressed by the boys as “Ma'am”. Discipline is maintained in the houses by a body of usually five prefects who are empowered to punish. Punishments vary from writing out Latin lines to weeding the House Master's garden. There are roughly 130 masters who teach classes ranging in size from 10 to 25.

Most boys arrive at Eton at 13, having passed the Common Entrance Examination. For their first two years they all study English, Divinity, Math, French, Latin, Science, Art and Design. Sixth-formers study three main subjects at their choice, in addition to Divinity and General Studies.

Lessons take place in the mornings of all weekdays and Saturdays, and there are two additional periods in the afternoon on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

School dress consists of a morning tail-suit with a white shirt, and for some senior boys the shirt has a winged collar with an addition of a white tie. This was standardized in the mid nineteenth century, because it was a fashionable outfit for young gentlemen of that period. The members of the Eton Society, commonly known as “Pop”, wear black-and-white checked trousers, braided tail-coats, and fancy waist-coats. Scholars wear a short black gown when in class.

Eton offers a wide variety of sports , ranging from football, cricket and rowing, to the Field Game, a hybrid game peculiar to Eton, and similar to football. In addition to this there are tennis courts as well as some 220 acres of playing fields, a gym, a swimming pool, and a golf course. The Eton Boat Club is the largest in the world. Besides the splendid games facilities Eton offers many spare-time activities: art at the Drawing Schools , woodwork, metalwork, electronics at the Design and Technology Centre, and an opportunity of learning any musical instrument at the Music schools.

The list of famous men educated at Eton would be a long one, but in the literary world the outstanding figures are Henry Fielding, Aldous Huxley, George Orwell; in the armed services – Admiral Richard Howe and the Duke of Wellington; and 20 Prime Ministers , including Anthony Eden, Harold Macmillan and Douglas Home.

Ex. 1 Pronounce the given words correctly:

Ultra-conservative, medieval, to be recruited, matron, empower, Divinity, braided.

Ex.2 Read the sentences with the following word combinations, translate them:

A considerable amount of bullying, to do menial task, on the basis of a competitive examination, the tradition of fagging.

Ex. 3 Explain:

A scholar , the nobility, boarding school, fagging, a house –master, a prefect, the Common Entrance Examination, a sixth-former.

Ex.4 Find out if the statement true or false:

1.Founding Eton College, King John intended that it should provide education for 70 poor students.

2.The present arrangement of the College consists of 29 boarding houses.

3.Most boys and girls arrive at Eton at 17, having passed their A-level exams.

4.Punishments at Eton vary from writing out Latin lines to weeding the House Master's garden.

5.There hadn't been done any vast improvements in many aspects of school life until the last decade of the 20th century.

6.On arrival at Eton each boy is allocated a resident matron and becomes a member of a house body.

7.In addition to three main subjects, sixth-formers choose to study according to their liking, they are to take courses in Latin and Divinity.

Ex.5 Complete the sentences according to the text:

1. The King's College of Eton ...

a) was founded in 1441

b) was founded in 1440

c) was founded in 1450

2. In the 17th century it became fashionable for the nobility to send their sons....

a)to earn their livings

b)to study to Oxford

c)to Eton College

3. The value of the tutorial system is that it ...

a) remained ultra-conservative

b)ensures that each boy receives individual attention

c)retained various features of a medieval school

4.The boys attending Eton College live in 14 separate boarding houses, each run ...

a) by a resident matron

b) by a body of usually five prefects

c)by a House Master

Ex.6 Insert some prepositions:

1. The sons of the nobility were generally hard ... discipline.

2. Punishment vary ... writing ... Latin lines ... weeding the House Master's garden.

3. Sixth-formers study three main subject ... their choice ... addition ... Divinity and General Studies.

4. Discipline is maintained ... the house ... a body of five prefects.

5. School dress consists ... a morning tail-suit ... a white shirt, and ... some senior boys the shirt has a winged collar ... an addition of a white tie.

Ex.7 Answer the following questions:

1.Was the life originally hard for scholars at Eton? Explain your point of view.

2.Was it a hard task to transform Eton from a medieval school into a modern one?

3.Is school uniform obligatory at Eton?

4.Are all the scholars selected on the basis of a competitive examination?

5.The list of famous men educated in Eton is long, isn't it?