Name: Toffism.
Age: Brand new.
Appearance: Irrational, prejudicial.
An irrational prejudice in favour of Everton football club? No, that would be Toffeeism.
What, then? An irrational prejudice against toffs; specifically, privately educated toffs.
I’d call that anti-toffism myself. Who’s responsible for this unhappy coinage? Chris King, the head of Leicester grammar school (£4,000 per term) and the new chair of the Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference (HMC).
What’s he got against people who’ve got something against toffs? He’s sick of everyone blaming private schools for the education crisis. He called for critics of the independent sector to “stop indulging in toffism and out-of-date preconceptions about the nature of our schools”.
To which hopelessly misunderstood institutions was he referring? The HMC represents 275 independent schools including Eton, Harrow, Roedean, Bedales, Stowe, Westminster and Fettes.
Toffism seems harmless enough. What’s the world coming to when you can’t make fun of a kid in a top hat? It’s political correctness gone mad! King would say it’s an unhelpful distraction, steering the debate from the real problems facing state schools. “It is clearly absurd to blame the sector which educates 7% of the school population for the ills of the educational experience of the other 93%,” he told the HMC’s annual meeting.
One might dare to suggest that a sector that educates just 7% of the population isn’t exactly part of the solution, either. “Stop believing you can make the weak stronger by making the strong weaker,” says King.
There are few things less attractive than a man representing a bunch of posh schools trying to come across as embattled. You don’t understand – he wants to help. “Instead of carping, accept that we want to make a positive contribution.”
How? He didn’t specify, but many of the schools represented by the HMC do sponsor, or co-sponsor, state academies.
So he’s in favour of the proliferation of independent state academies? Actually, he seems a bit threatened by them. “Increasingly, the term ‘independent state school’ is coming into use – it is, however, an oxymoron,” he said.
Stupid toff. That’s not helpful.
Do say: “The private sector remains wholly committed to the idea of social mobility for the not very many.”
Don’t say: “We want to give something back; just not the money.”
