LATENT EFFECTS

Our “Survivorship Bias” Theory of Change suggests there may be hidden socioeconomic impacts arising from boarding - both from the institutionalisation of children as a proxy for familial care, and from the two-tier societal structures that result.

Drawing insights from the extensive existing qualitative literature, this group aims to bring a quantitative lens to fill evidence gaps around some of the lesser-recognised consequences of boarding, many of which appear to be longer term, or take decades to manifest. We will also interrogate the extent to which perceptions of privilege might lead to these being under-recognised by public health systems and wider society.

Taking a systems approach, the LATENT EFFECTS group will interrogate how public services, economic frameworks and social hierarchies are shaped and impacted by the current boarding school system - whether by creating a highly visible elite ruling class, or through less-visible effects on health, legal and social services, as former boarders live with the long-term consequences of their institutionalised childhoods.

The LATENT EFFECTS group will have three sub-groups, each exploring different lines of enquiry:

a)     Public Health
Examines a range of potential long-term health consequences reportedly arising from the boarding experience, and seeks to quantify the prevalence and unaudited cost to public health systems. Focus areas will include reports of over-representation of former boarders in mental health and addiction settings, and the impacts of trauma, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and intergenerational trauma on individuals and their families, and how these harms extrapolate into the public health arena.

b)     Political and Economic
This sub-group will consider the broader fiscal impact of elite education models, and the position of boarding schools within sociopolitical frameworks. As well as examining aspects such as the role of charitable status, tax exemptions, and grants and bursaries, this sub-group will explore how existing fiscal structures shape public spending priorities, contribute to social inequalities, and inform societal attitudes to privilege.

c)     Wider Society
Explores how the culture, power base and historical standing of boarding schools might influence wider societal, legal, medical and political structures both in a domestic and global context. We will examine the colonial legacy of boarding school as an institution and how the past impacts current approaches to producing leaders for the future. This group will also consider how these systems are internalised and exported globally.