Industry News
Schools offer philanthropy classes
Posted on 28th January 2008
A leading independent school is planning to hold a series of lessons designed to help its pupils understand how privileged they are.
The Dragon School is an Oxford-based prep school which charges boarders £20,580 a year and day pupils £14,370 and its former pupils include Hugh Laurie, Tim Henman and Sir John Betjeman.
It has now introduced a course on philanthropy for its pupils, which it hopes will encourage them to give generously and to become involved in charitable work later in life.
Daniel Gill, the schools' director of social impact, told the Observer the course should put the idea that helping others is important in the children's minds.
"We do want the pupils here to understand that by any stretch of the imagination they are privileged," explained Mr Gill. "We hope a lot of them will be successful in the future and in a position to give."
Meanwhile, Fettes College in Edinburgh is encouraging its former pupils, who include Tony Blair, to demonstrate some generosity as it attempts to raise £20 million in order to build new facilities and fund bursaries for children from disadvantaged backgrounds.