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The school that's putting manners back on the map

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Marie Claire news: Brighton college

Most people are pleased if they leave school with a decent set of qualifications, but one college has decided this alone isn’t a good enough life lesson – and is serving up lectures on table manners, shirt-ironing and proper use of public transport.

During a one-year course, teenagers at Brighton College are taught everything from etiquette (how to deal with food you don’t like at a dinner party) to practical skills (ironing, map-reading and how to boil an egg).

Headmaster, Richard Cairns, is on a one-man mission to bring back proper behaviour aftera recent survey by the Institute of Directors revealed that graduates are impolite and lack manners.

He told the Daily Mail: ‘Our role is to equip our pupils for all aspects of adult life.

‘Exams are only a part of that preparation. Just as important, in my view, is whether a young person has a grasp of basic etiquette.

‘This is really to make the children's university and working lives easier for them.’

The compulsory course was introduced this term for the 140 pupils in the first year at Brighton College, where day fees are £15,387 a year and boarding £24,078.

Skills covered in the 45-minute classes include putting up a tent, formal letter-writing, cooking an egg, monitoring heart rates during exercise to keep fit, making a pizza and taking digital photographs.

Etiquette practices are also put in place, and include lessons on considerate use of pavements, including stepping aside for members of the public, assisting pensioners and giving up seats on buses and trains.

Wednesday 9 January 2008

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I think this is a brilliant idea and should be adopted across the whole country. Young adults need to learn to be self sufficient and have some independence.
The manners is the big issue for me though, I cannot abide people who are impolite and it seems as though less and less people use them. Even in my own family I am constantly trying to get people to say thank you etc...
Comment by Shal on January 09 10:43

It's funny because when I was at school this was taught as part of Home Studies lessons, it's seem again, modern teaching is failing our children. I don't advocate a return to all things ancient but I think good old fashioned life skills should be taught to our kids as well as academic studies. I didn't go to a posh school, far from it, but when I left to go to college I knew how to take care of myself, it seems a shame if students of today are no longer given this essential start to their independence.
Comment by Vic on January 09 14:49

I was taught this by my parents from a very young age (apart from the tent thing... which would have come in handy for Glasto...) - and kind of assumed everyone was until I found out the hard way.

I was considered "posh" and "priviledged" because I said please and thank you, enunciated, and covered my mouth when I coughed.

While a lot of the more crazy and impractical etiquette forms I was taught have been put on a shelf for formal wear only, I still can't bring myself to throw litter on the ground or barge past others when I'm in a hurry... wish more people thought about those things - would make some aspects of day-to-day life a little smoother!
Comment by Fay on January 10 10:45