Everyone has heard about pranks that others suffer at boarding school or even yourself were sometime a victim of this school jokes that kids play year after year. Some of them are light and others are tougher, here you have most common ones.

“Pantsing”
It is one of the names given to the acts of pulling down a person’s pants in public.

Circle Hand Game
Created by a City College of New York’s Fraternity in 1929 it has been recreated in TV Series “Malcom in the Middle”

Wet Willy
The pranker wet his/her finger with saliva and then introduces the finger in to the ear of a distracted or asleep person.

Towel snap
A very common prank in communal showers in boy boarding school . Prankers twist their wet towels and hit the victim with them, usually causing pain.

Kick me
Probably one of the oldest pranks. A note, in which is written “kick me”, is attached to the back of the victim. The note can be reading another sentence as “I’m idiot” or “My girlfriend cheats on me”

Shoe Lacing
The pranker ties victim’s shoe laces together while the victim is distracted. When the victim tries to walk, he or she usually falls down.
As teenagers  and boarding high school students have been opening and keeping their profiles on social media services many of these “old” pranks  has evolved to multimedia jokes and they have come up with many new ways of laughing at his mates but we will tell you about it another post.

As we looked how boarding schools is a recurrent topic for film makers we can’t ignore that many time films are based in books and telling about English literature boarding schools has become a genre with its own conventions.

There are some notable examples that million of people have read:

“Nicholas Nickleby” serial comic novel written by Charles Dickens and first published during 1838 and 1839. Nicholas Nickleby is a young man who must support his mother and his sister after his father’s death.
Some of the best stories happens at a boarding high school.

“Jane Eyre” famous Charlotte Brönte’s novel was published in London in 1847. It is an autobiography and is written in a first-person narrative. Jane talks about her education at Lowood School, in this girl boarding school she meets her friends but also she suffer many privations.

“Goodbye, Mr. Chips” by James Hilton was written in only four days and center the story much on the schoolteacher or a public boarding school than in the students.

J.S. Salinger’s 1951 novel “The Catcher in the Rye” has been listed as one of the best novels in 20th century and it has been translated into world’s major languages. Its principal character has become an icon for teenage rebellion. This novel has been related to conspiracy theories on the media and it is said that many famous killers were collectors of different editions of the novel.

Boarding school is always a experience in life, most of times a good one, and those who spend some of their youth years there can forget that time and sometimes they get inspired to write so beautiful books.

As boarding schools are always unforgettable for those who spend there some years of their childhood and they are where a lot of funny, creepy or tender stories come from film industry has look in to them to make many movies during the last decades.
From the oldest ones as 1930 “Abschied” (Farewell) to the last year ” St. Trinitian’s 2 : The Legend of Fritton’s Gold”, which is placed in catholic boarding schools,  there are hundreds of films inspired by the brotherhood spirit of boarding schools.
Ones of the best known films set in boarding schools is “Harry Potter” saga which next movie world premiere is scheduled 2011. Altough it may seem that magic and spellings are the main part of the plot in fact  it is nothing but stories around a very special boarding schools in England.

“Madeleine”,  released in 1998, is based in children’s book series and tell the story of the title character and her child years in  girl boarding school. It’s a really tender film although school conditions has nothing to do with current ones.
Another film related to this educational institutions is the famous drama “Dead poets society”. You could remember  this 1989 Disney production  in which Robin Williams starrs as an unconventional and inspiring English teacher.
Last but not least I could not miss “About Bad Education”. Opening film in 2004 Cannes Festival. Almodovar takes a look at his own adolescence in a catholic boarding school in Spain.

Weekly boarding schools are starting to become very popular in India. This is a concept where students stay at the school for 24 hours during the week but go home during the weekends in order to be with their parents. The good thing about the concept is that students receive good education while they can spend quality time with their parents during the weekends.

The parents in India believe that giving their children more space can help them develop and become more independent. But feel the need to spend quality time with their children; this is why this solution seems to work perfectly for them. Furthermore the children seem to be happy. It seems to educate them discipline and flexibility at the same time. They have the advantages of boarding schools while they still can be at home to be with their family and friends and this combination seems to work in India.

Modern times ask for modern measures and so also boarding schools are following the matter. Where it was so easy to evaluate the schools a couple of years ago, nowadays there are 52 National Minimum Standards to be taken into account when judging them. The goal of these standards is to promote welfare of the children in boarding schools.  This can be a good help when searching for a good boarding school and this is the reason why I want to share some of the rules with you.

First of all there shouldn’t be any corporal punishment. Boarding schools cannot prevent children from ringing their parents or sending them a letter. Moreover they cannot deny medical or dental attention to the children, children cannot be fined over two third of their pocket money and there is a minimum distance between the dormitory and the beds that should be taken into account. Furthermore the school should have, and follow, an appropriate policy on responding to complaints from the children and their parents, schools have to provide a good range and choice of activities for the students after teaching time and each border should have one or more staff members to turn to when he or she has a problem.

But these new rules don’t change the fact that the number of children going to an elementary boarding school is lower than ever and according to the director of the Boarding Schools’ Association this has a lot to do with the way parents remember their past in these schools. According to her, boarding schools have to be twice as good as other schools nowadays.

So the schools are trying everything to change the lack of interest, but it seems that the prejudices towards boarding schools won’t be erased this easily.

Slovakia really is eager to integrate the future generations of gipsies, who represent up to 10% of the population, into the European society. This is the reason why the Prime Minister Robert Fico announced that they want to send children of Roma families to boarding schools. He said that these children have to be taken from their impoverished settlements and put into boarding schools to speed up the integration in the European Union.

The cause of this change was the negative report of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navy Pillay. During her annual visit, she criticised that the situation of the unemployed and poor gipsies in Slovakia and the Czech Republic. She pointed out the worsening treatment of this minority.

By putting the children in a boarding school, the government wants to separate them from the life in their settlements. The Prime Minister marked there is no other option because today, many of the children are sent to schools for mentally disabled and suffer from racism. According to him, the schools are the only way to break the cycle of racism.

But what about the ethnicity of these children? When they lose contact with their homes, they lose contact with their parents and their culture. Is it OK for us to try and change everyone and thereby kill other cultures? I think that everyone who wants to go to boarding school should be able to go and the other way around. What do you think? Please respond on the boarding school blog.

A recent study showed that students from day and boarding schools are more prepared for further education. They also seem to achieve a greater career development than students who studied in public schools.

The Association of Boarding Schools surveyed over 2700 high school students and adults in different points in their lives to learn about their experiences. They found out that the stereotypes of private education are not true. First of all, the study shows that those who have been to or study at a boarding schools, are more than ten percent more satisfied in comparison with their peers at public and private schools. They find their schools more challenging and estimate the quality of teaching very high.

Another advantage seems to be the interaction and learning beyond the classrooms: in the dining room, on playing fields, in the dormitory,… It opens their minds up, they change their vision on the world and they are more likely to develop strong bonds with each other.

Furthermore, it gives students a very good preparation for university: 87% said they were well prepared, with only 71% of students in private day schools and just 39% of public schools. And by late career, more than half of the boarding school students have reached a top management position. They seem also to be more independent and have a better time management.

The best part of the study is that some 90% of the boarding school alumni say that they would repeat their experience if they were given the opportunity. So I think t is time to leave the myths about boarding school behind us, don’t you think so?

Talking with Trevor Lamberts who was in a boarding school when he was young.

Trevor can switch from a serious engineer to this eccentric crowd entertainer all of a sudden… Some of his best stories are from boarding school, a catholic boys-only establishment where he spent his youth, from when he was 11 to 18 years old. It was a reputed school in the traditional English way. Although discipline was very present, he had some fun stories from there.

“If we’d been caught, teachers could leave us standing with the arms open straight and horizontal for half an hour, the kind of treatment that would kill your shoulders. If you’d take them down, you’d have to hold them back in place for even longer. They could also be verbally just as hard sometimes, teachers, and older pupils too. The pre-fect would overlook us and they had the power to apply some discipline on us. When myself became pre-fect, the Childe Protection Act had come into force and this kind of treatment had been banned. Nowadays, discipline is softer, but it remains present, to rule the everyday life, like the time to eat and sleep, the lectures and so on.

Leaving your family for the week can be difficult at the age of 11. Some of us were not ready or not mature enough to handle it. I knew boarding school was imposed on me by circumstances (his parents got separated) and actually was an opportunity. After a few weeks missing home I decided to make most of it and started to enjoy the friends around, the week ends doing a lot of sport. Others dedicated their spare time to art, music, drama. (His mate Jason became professional piano from this time and now has a career in New York. He played at Trevor´s wedding). And when you like an activity you can become responsible for the running of the club. I was captain of the Tennis team (and his service today is still very powerful)”.

Boarding school is considered in UK as the best education a child can get.
“When I reached university I compared my marks, which I thought were average, with the one of others who had gone to a normal school, and yes, I realized my marks where actually very good, and I had done more subjects. Classes were never crowded; teachers were very supportive and helpful, so without realizing, I ended up with a very good academic background.”

He’ll never forget his best friends and childhood memories, which he had at the catholic boarding school. I don’t know about the other 11 years olds who were not able to settle, and who did not manage to enjoy their years as much as he did. At the end, everybody can make the most of their opportunities. What Trevor is sure of, is that his experience in boarding school, changed his life.

It’s been considered in United States that a high percentage of this remarkable Rhodes Scholars are considered as these boarding school alumni. In each year, this Rhodes Trust awards for over 80 educational scholarships around the globe and 32 of this will go to the U.S. citizens. Based on the Associations of Boarding Schools (TABS) that roughly got 8% of this U.S. Rhodes Scholar recipients just over in the last five years that joined on to this boarding school even in their respective college prep boarding schools that will now be enroll for just about 39,000 learners in just one quarter for only 1% of this 16.5 million high schools learners that will be studying on the U.S. So, just one way of putting this; this boarding school learners are now 3,000% will be more likely than the other high school learners towards becoming this Rhodes Scholars. This Rhodes scholarship was entirely established in the year 1902 upon the last reign of this Cecil Rhodes intended for this postgraduate studies at its oldest English speaking university of the globe, Oxford University. Based on this Rhodes Trust, Mr. Rhodes will now be outlining the criteria intended for educational scholarship recipients that include this mere focus for the literary and educational scholastic attainments and even for energy towards using this one’s talents towards the fullest.

So, this nurturing inclusive educational academic communities at their respective boarding schools will foster on and even celebrated this intellectual promise and even providing an abundant individual growth of its chances that will entirely support of preparing their learners for not just only become a progressive college educational experience but for lifetime educational learning. Based on the study that been released during this mid 2000s, about 91% of this boarding school learners will now be reported that this educational learning institutes will now be considered as academically challenging that been compared for about 70% of their private day and about 50% for their public schools learners. Similar study have also reported that this learners will be spending twice as much time of their homework for 17 hours in weekly basis that will be compared for about 8.5 and entirely enjoyed for just more time together with their educators and staff that will be outside of their respective classroom. So, among this Mr. Rhodes some other requirements includes this courage, devotion towards its duty, truth, moral forces of its character, and the instincts towards leading and even taking on some interest for their fellow being. Through this mid career, about 60% of these boarding school alumni will entirely provide towards social service organizations that will be compared for just about 46% for the entire high school alumni based on its similar data information. Not only that, this boarding school alumni will be likely of donating some charities that will actively engage towards supporting others and even making on some mark of the globe just for just an early age. This Elizabeth Longino, the 2010 Rhodes Educational Scholarship recipient and about 2006 graduate for The Hockaday School (TX) will entirely support of starting on this foundation that been resided in Cambodia that will address on this child prostitution. This William Oppenheim that been considered as another 2010 recipient and this 2006 Taft School (CT) graduates have founded and even directed this Omprakash Foundation that supports of linking its volunteer educators with just more than 100 grassroots that educationally projects this 26 nations around the world.

With that, boarding schools entirely provides these learners for their global educational program and even teaches their social responsibility in addition for traditional educational academics and for their extracurriculars. Often times, this 24/7 tight knit community will be considering as its living illustration of how this one person will have a good impact. So, this Henry Spelman that is the 2010 Rhodes Scholarship recipient and this 2006 graduate for The Hill School (PA) have cited not just only for an excellent educational academics but also considered as this distinctive boarding school nature during the time that its got a mere reflection of its impact for their secondary schooling. So, the farther they will be getting away from The Hill will be considered as even more realizable on just how unique and how special their community will be. Especially that they certainly would not be found and considered as their intellectual passion of this Ancient Greek and if they will be staying on this public school however, The Hill have entirely shaped on their learners and this person considered as even more profound in various ways. What they have seen is the great advantage that they got for this boarding educational learning institutes particularly for the smaller ones considering that they will continually live, do their assigned works and various activities with this incredible tight knit that diverse group of individuals who will be holding on this very admirable and even increasingly rare sets of values.

The boarding school of Reigate that been founded as orphanage during the 18th century will now be receiving royal visit upon celebrating this 250th anniversary. The Royal Alexandra together with the Albert School of Gatton Park entirely welcomed Her Royal Highness Duchess in Gloucester. The Royal Duchess met on the current and as well former students of Reigate. They have discussed in regards to educational learning unique history. This started on the life of Hoxton that considered as the northern part of London in late 1750s as Orphan Working School before they will entirely be merging on this Royal Albert School of Camberley in the year of 1949 and continually moving on for 260acre site of Reigate. The head educator Paul Spencer Ellis stated that just overtime they will be gradually be morphed on unto this state boarding educational learning institutes so that parents will be paying for it. As of now, there are still retaining this orphanage traditional setting and they even got on this 54 children of boarding educational learning institutes on this free places due to home circumstances. This school got on about 800 pupils that aged on seven until 18,400 to whom these been considered as boarders and these been rated as outstanding through their Ofsted in this every category of June 2008.

The duchess joined on some shorter service for this school chapel this coming Wednesday and even watched on their dance that will be display through their pupils. Mr. Ellis stated that its quite essential that this students were entirely aware of their educational learning continuing commitment towards orphans as its free foundationers of places that will still be offering to those children that got on difficulty of their home life. Especially that he stated that lots of individuals got on some misunderstanding in regards to the word orphan. Since, this does not necessarily be mean that a certain child who had just lost both of its parents but just someone who had just lost one of its parent and this remaining parent will not be looking after their children just by themselves. Last Wednesday considered as the 250th anniversary day and first 20 orphan boys that came for March 3, 1760. They will be supporting for the entire family situation that might be this grandmother will be bringing on up their children and even doing on this 52 weeks in a year.

If they got on struggle with their single parent for some other reason, there might be some mental health issues especially if they will be taking on some strain that are quite able of holding on together with their family situation. If they will be taking on their children into this boarding school, this will entirely make the whole aspect more likely to succeed upon. Mr. Ellis will now be joining on their boarding campus schools as temporary be headed in 2001 during the time that it will be considered as special measures and got on some support that will be turning on just around for its point where in about 80% of this GCSE learners will now be achieving this five or more A*-Cs of 2009. With that, the head educator have also added that this school is quite proud of their heritage and they will be visiting from this Duches of Gloucester as one fitting way towards acknowledging some other chances provided for over 20,000 orphans in this last 250 years.