Fagging was a traditional practice in British public schools and also at many other

boarding school A boarding school is a school where pupils live within premises while being given formal instruction. The word "boarding" is used in the sense of "room and board", i.e. lodging and meals. As they have existed for many centuries, and now exten ...

s, whereby younger pupils were required to act as personal servants to the eldest boys. Although probably originating earlier, the first accounts of fagging appeared in the late 17th century. Fagging sometimes involved physical abuse and/or sexual abuse. Although lessening in severity over the centuries, the practice continued in some institutions until the end of the 20th century.

History

Fagging originated as a structure for maintaining order in boarding schools, when schoolmasters' authority was practically limited to the classroom.

Thomas Arnold Thomas Arnold (13 June 1795 – 12 June 1842) was an English educator and historian. He was an early supporter of the Broad Church Anglican movement. As headmaster of Rugby School from 1828 to 1841, he introduced several reforms that were wide ...

, headmaster of

Rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby league: 13 players per side *** Masters Rugby League *** Mod league *** Rugby league nines *** Rugby league sevens *** Touch (sport) *** Wheelchair rugby league ** Rugby union: 1 ...

from 1828 to 1841, defined fagging as the power given by the authorities of the school to the Sixth Form, to be exercised by them over younger boys. Fagging was a fully established system at St Paul's,

Eton Eton most commonly refers to Eton College, a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. Eton may also refer to: Places *Eton, Berkshire, a town in Berkshire, England * Eton, Georgia, a town in the United States * Éton, a commune in the Meuse dep ...

, and

Winchester Winchester is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs Nation ...

in the sixteenth century. Fagging carried with it well-defined rights and duties on both sides. The senior, sometimes called the fag-master, was the protector of his fags and responsible for their happiness and good conduct. In case of any problem outside the classroom, such as bullying or injustice, a junior boy's recourse was to him, not to a form master or housemaster, and, except in the gravest cases, all incidents were dealt with by the fag-master on his own responsibility. The duties undertaken by fags, the time taken, and their general treatment varied widely. Each school had its own traditions. Until around 1900 a fag's duties might include such humble tasks as blacking boots, brushing clothes and cooking breakfasts, and there was no limit as to hours. Later, fagging was restricted to such light tasks as running errands and bringing tea to the fag-master's study. At many schools, fag-masters were expected to reward their fags with a monetary 'fag tip' at the end of a semester. The 1911 '' Britannica'' details an evolution of the role at Eton. Under school rules, fagging might entail harsh discipline and corporal punishment when those were standard practices. In 1930, an inquest into the death of a 14-year-old schoolboy from

Sedbergh School Sedbergh School is a public school (English independent day and boarding school) in the town of Sedbergh in Cumbria, in North West England. It comprises a junior school for children aged 4 to 13 and the main school for 13 to 18 year olds. It w ...

heard that, rather than returning after holidays, he took his life because of his dislike of the fagging system. The jury returned a verdict of suicide and recommended the discontinuation of the practice in public schools. During the late 20th century, fagging became unfashionable in British public schools, as attitudes to boarding education and child development changed. Despite the reluctance of senior boys who had served their time and expected to enjoy the benefits of the system, between the 1960s and 1980s first the duties became less onerous and then the system was abolished at most major public schools. The practice is believed to have become obsolete in Britain. There is a history of fagging in schools in former British colonies (see

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

) where fagging continues in a limited form at some schools. In 2017, the actor Simon Williams described how, as a new pupil at

Harrow School (The Faithful Dispensation of the Gifts of God) , established = (Royal Charter) , closed = , type = Public schoolIndependent schoolBoarding school , religion = Church of E ...

in 1959, he was required to fag for a prefect four years his senior, involving duties such as spit-shining his shoes, making his bed, serving tea, and even warming the toilet seat.

Sexual abuse

Fagging was sometimes associated with

sexual abuse Sexual abuse or sex abuse, also referred to as molestation, is abusive sexual behavior by one person upon another. It is often perpetrated using force or by taking advantage of another. Molestation often refers to an instance of sexual assa ...

. Christopher Tyerman, writing about the history of

Harrow School (The Faithful Dispensation of the Gifts of God) , established = (Royal Charter) , closed = , type = Public schoolIndependent schoolBoarding school , religion = Church of E ...

, stated that in some situations, fagging could either encourage or conceal sexual activity between boys, and that at Harrow, fagging began to decline at around the same time as

homosexuality Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" to peop ...

was eradicated as an acceptable part of the boarding school environment, but continued in formal school life until the 1990s.

In memoirs, literature and art

Many authors have written of the experience of the harsh regimes experienced within public or boarding schools; some in novels and others in memoirs. *

Percy Bysshe Shelley Percy Bysshe Shelley ( ; 4 August 17928 July 1822) was one of the major English Romantic poets. A radical in his poetry as well as in his political and social views, Shelley did not achieve fame during his lifetime, but recognition of his achie ...

, who entered

Eton College Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College, C ...

in 1804, was bullied for refusing to aid his assigned prefect. * Fagging is depicted in the 1857 novel ''

Tom Brown's School Days ''Tom Brown's School Days'' (sometimes written ''Tom Brown's Schooldays'', also published under the titles ''Tom Brown at Rugby'', ''School Days at Rugby'', and ''Tom Brown's School Days at Rugby'') is an 1857 novel by Thomas Hughes. The stor ...

'' by

Thomas Hughes Thomas Hughes (20 October 182222 March 1896) was an English lawyer, judge, politician and author. He is most famous for his novel ''Tom Brown's School Days'' (1857), a semi-autobiographical work set at Rugby School, which Hughes had attended. ...

, which is set at

Rugby School Rugby School is a public school (English independent boarding school for pupils aged 13–18) in Rugby, Warwickshire, England. Founded in 1567 as a free grammar school for local boys, it is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain. Up ...

. *

E. W. Hornung Ernest William Hornung (7 June 1866 – 22 March 1921) was an English author and poet known for writing the A. J. Raffles (character), A. J. Raffles series of stories about a gentleman thief in late 19th-century London. Hornung was educa ...

's stories about fictional gentleman thief

A. J. Raffles Arthur J. Raffles (usually called A. J. Raffles) is a fictional character created in 1898 by E. W. Hornung, brother-in-law of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes. Raffles is, in many ways, an inversion of Holmeshe is a "gentlem ...

(created in 1898) are narrated by Raffles's companion

Bunny Manders Harry Manders (almost exclusively known as Bunny Manders) is a fictional character in the popular series of Raffles stories by E. W. Hornung. He is the companion of A. J. Raffles, a cricketer and gentleman thief, who makes a living robbing the r ...

, who fagged for Raffles in their school years. *

C. S. Lewis Clive Staples Lewis (29 November 1898 – 22 November 1963) was a British writer and Anglican lay theologian. He held academic positions in English literature at both Oxford University (Magdalen College, 1925–1954) and Cambridge Univers ...

's partial autobiography, ''

Surprised by Joy ''Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life'' is a partial autobiography published by C. S. Lewis in 1955. The work describes Lewis's life from very early childhood (born 1898) until his conversion to Christianity in 1931, but does not go b ...

'' (1955), mentions fagging (see Chapter VI, pp. 94–95). * Some characters in

P. G. Wodehouse Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse, ( ; 15 October 188114 February 1975) was an English author and one of the most widely read humorists of the 20th century. His creations include the feather-brained Bertie Wooster and his sagacious valet, Jeev ...

's school stories are fags, such as Reginald Robinson in ''

The Pothunters ''The Pothunters'' is a novel by P. G. Wodehouse published on 18 September 1902 by Adam & Charles Black. It was Wodehouse's first published novel, and the first of several school stories, this one set at the fictional public school of St. Au ...

'' (1902) and Thomas Renford in ''

The Gold Bat ''The Gold Bat'' is a novel by P. G. Wodehouse, first published on 13 September 1904 by A & C Black, London. It was originally serialised in '' The Captain''.McIlvaine (1990), pp. 13–14, A4. Set at the fictional public school of Wrykyn, the ...

'' (1904). * In his 1984 autobiography,

Roald Dahl Roald Dahl (13 September 1916 – 23 November 1990) was a British novelist, short-story writer, poet, screenwriter, and wartime fighter ace of Norwegian descent. His books have sold more than 250 million copies worldwide. Dahl has be ...

states that when he was a young fag, he was instructed to warm toilet seats for older boys at

Repton School Repton School is a 13–18 Mixed-sex education, co-educational, Independent school (United Kingdom), independent, Day school, day and boarding school in the English Public school (United Kingdom), public school tradition, in Repton, Derbyshire, ...

, and he wrote a fictional account of the experience of fagging in his short story ''Galloping Foxley''. *

Yana Toboso is a Japanese manga artist. She was born in Warabi, Saitama Prefecture, Japan and currently resides in Yokohama. Selected works '' Rust Blaster'' is a 2006 six-chapter manga published by Square Enix in one volume. It tells the story of a hu ...

's manga series ''

Black Butler is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yana Toboso. It has been serialized in Square Enix's ''shōnen'' manga magazine ''Monthly GFantasy'' since September 2006. The series follows Ciel Phantomhive, the twelve-year-old Ea ...

'' showcases the fagging system in its Public School Arc, with the main protagonist, Ciel Phantomhive, becoming a fag when he enrolls to investigate events at Weston College. * '' If....'' (1968) shows life in a public school and the fagging system, specifically how junior boys are made to act as personal servants for the eldest boys and are discussed as sex objects.

References

{{Reflist, refs= {{cite EB1911 , wstitle=Fagging , volume=10 , page=125 {{cite book , last1=Brown , first1=Tamara L. , last2=Parks , first2=Gregory , last3=Phillips , first3=Clarenda M. , title=African American Fraternities and Sororities: The Legacy and the Vision , date=2005 , publisher=University Press of Kentucky , isbn=978-0-8131-2344-8 , url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yfTYV_H2XoEC&pg=PA439 , language=en {{cite book , title=Report of Her Majesty's Commissioners Appointed to Inquire Into the Revenues and Management of Certain Colleges and Schools, and the Studies Pursued and Instruction Given Therein: With an Appendix and Evidence , date=1864 , publisher=G.E. Eyre and W. Spottiswoode , location=London , url=https://books.google.com/books?id=q4dPAQAAMAAJ&pg=RA1-PA426 , access-date=22 August 2020 , language=en {{cite book , last1=Schaverien , first1=Joy , title=Boarding School Syndrome: The psychological trauma of the 'privileged' child , date=2015 , publisher=Routledge , isbn=978-1-317-50659-1 , url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5z7LCQAAQBAJ , access-date=22 August 2020 , language=en {{cite book , title=Johnson's New Universal Cyclopædia: A Scientific and Popular Treasury of Useful Knowledge , date=1877 , publisher=A. J. Johnson , page=7 , url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9Ds6AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA7 , access-date=22 August 2020 , language=en {{cite news , last1=Williams , first1=Simon , title=The Archers' Simon Williams on public school 'fagging' , url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/thinking-man/archers-simon-williams-public-school-fagging/ , access-date=22 August 2020 , work=The Telegraph , date=8 December 2017 {{cite book , last1=Tyerman , first1=Christopher , title=A History of Harrow School, 1324-1991 , date=October 2000 , publisher=Oxford University Press , isbn=978-0-19-822796-0 , url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Jwa8ILtT3X8C&pg=RA3-PA477 , access-date=22 August 2020 , language=en {{cite news , url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/sunday-times/deep-focus/Lights-out-bullies-are-out/articleshow/41310278.cms , newspaper=The Times of India , title=Lights out, bullies are out , last=Agarwala , first=Vishant , date=31 August 2014 , access-date=23 August 2020 {{cite news , title=Suicide - Dislike of Fagging , url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/archive/page/1930-05-10/9.html , access-date=23 August 2020 , work=The Times , date=10 May 1930 , pages=9 {{cite journal , last1=Nash , first1=Paul , title=Training an Elite: The prefect-fagging system in the English Public School , journal=History of Education Quarterly , date=1961 , volume=1 , issue=1 , pages=14–21 , doi=10.2307/367195 , jstor=367195 , url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/367195 , access-date=23 August 2020 , issn=0018-2680 {{cite news , author=UPI , author-link=United Press International , url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2209&dat=19770303&id=eKgrAAAAIBAJ&pg=6967,805109 , title=Eton students want to carry on fagging tradition , newspaper=

Nashua Telegraph ''The Telegraph'', for most of its existence known as the ''Nashua Telegraph'', is a daily newspaper in Nashua, New Hampshire. It was founded as the ''Nashua Daily Telegraph'' in 1869, although a weekly version dates back to 1832. Through the 200 ...

, date=4 March 1977 {{cite news , last1=Renton , first1=Alex , title=School of hard knocks: the dark underside to boarding school books , url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/apr/08/school-boarding-secrets-crimes-alex-renton-kipling-rowling-dahl-churchill , access-date=22 August 2020 , work=The Guardian , date=8 April 2017 , language=en {{cite news, url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2005/oct/12/publicschools.schools , title=When I was at school ... , date= 12 October 2005, access-date=26 May 2011 , newspaper=

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

{{Cite web, url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/jun/29/posh-boys-english-public-schools-robert-verkaik-review, title=Posh Boys by Robert Verkaik review – how public schools ruin Britain, first=Houman, last=Barekat, date=29 June 2018, via=www.theguardian.com {{cite book , last=Bieri , first=James , title=Percy Bysshe Shelley: A Biography: Youth's Unextinguished Fire, 1792–1816 , publisher=University of Delaware Press , year=2004 , location=Newark , page=81 , url=https://books.google.com/books?id=agbHUJEnHPMC , isbn=9780874138702 {{cite book , pages=36, 44 , title=Gilded Youth: Privilege, Rebellion and the British Public School , last=Brooke-Smith , first=James , url=https://books.google.com/books?id=McyHDwAAQBAJ , publisher=Reaktion Books , year=2019 , isbn=9781789140927 {{cite book, last=Hornung, first=E. W., author-link=E. W. Hornung, editor=Richard Lancelyn Green, editor-link=Richard Lancelyn Green, title=Raffles, the Amateur Cracksman, orig-year=1899, date=2003, publisher=Penguin Books, isbn= 978-1856132824, location=London, edition=Annotated, page=3 {{cite web , url=https://www.gutenberg.org/files/1480/1480-h/1480-h.htm , website=Project Gutenberg , title=Tom Brown's Schooldays, by Thomas Hughes , access-date=23 August 2020 {{Cite book, title=Surprised by Joy, first=C.S., last=Lewis, publisher=Harcourt, Brace and World, year=1955, isbn=0-15-687011-8 {{cite web , title=The Classics, the Cane and Rugby: The Life of Aubrey Samuel Langley and his Mission to Make Men in the High Schools of Natal, 1871-1939. , last=Löser , first=Dylan Thomas , year=2016 , url=https://open.uct.ac.za/bitstream/handle/11427/20651/thesis_hum_2016_loser_dylan_thomas.pdf?isAllowed=y , pages=55, 63 , access-date=23 August 2020 {{cite book, last=Garrison, first=Daniel H., title=Who's Who in Wodehouse, pages=162, 164, orig-year=1987, year=1989, edition=Revised, publisher=Peter Lang Publishing, isbn=1-55882-087-6 {{Cite book, title=Boy: Tales of Childhood, title-link=Boy (book), first=Roald, last=Dahl, publisher=Puffin Books, year=1984, isbn= 978-0-14-130305-5

History

Sexual abuse

In memoirs, literature and art

See also

References

Further reading