"THE outcome of the Battle of Waterloo was already decided on the playing field of Eton." — The Duke of Wellington was quoted as saying this after defeating Napoleon Bonaparte in 1815.
It shows the critical role of British boarding schools in shaping the character of their boys as well as the destiny of the British Empire and its colonies.
Winchester College and Eton College are two of the most established boarding schools in the UK.
Founded in 1382 and 1440 respectively, their beginnings pre-date Queen Victoria, King Henry VIII and even the Wars of the Roses.
Winchester is the old capital of England established by the Wessex King Alfred. King Arthur's Round Table still hangs in its museum today.
The success and influence of British boarding schools are evident in the lives and roles of their alumni.
Many of them were the movers and shakers of the British Empire throughout the centuries, outstanding leaders in the civil or military service.
With the adage "The sun never sets on the British Empire", these schools played a critical role in shaping the destiny of the British colonies and post-colonial nations.
During my time at Winchester College, I found my daily walk past its War Cloister a deeply enriching experience.
It was like walking into a time tunnel. On its walls are etched the names of its old boys who had made the ultimate sacrifice for the country.
Among them were generals, field marshals and admirals. Besides World War I and II, many of its old boys had fought in the Crimean War, Napoleonic Wars and Anglo-Spanish Wars.
The rich tradition and long history of the college serve as a powerful inspiration and motivation for its teachers and students.
Besides the War Cloister, there are also many quaint and historic corners around Winchester College.
The famous novelist, Jane Austen, taught in the college for a while. Her little "Yellow House" still stands in Winchester today.
My colleague, the former College Under-Master, used to live in the house. He often complained that inquisitive American and Japanese tourists would peep through his window every time they passed by.
Besides military service, many of its old boys were capable administrators in the British Civil Service.
One of its most outstanding and also most unfortunate alumni was Sir Henry Gurney, the British High Commissioner to Malaya. He was assassinated in an ambush while on his way to Fraser's Hill in 1951.
Heroically, he drew fire from the communists by walking away from his car, thus saving his wife hiding in the vehicle.
In honour of his service, many roads in Malaysia and Singapore were named after him.
One of the things which struck me as a teacher at Winchester were the impressive titles in my class register.
Among them were quite a few Sirs and Lords. For instance, there was a boy in my class whose great-grandfather was the ex-Governor of Hong Kong and another ex-Governor of Straits Settlement.
BOARDING SCHOOL LIFE
Both Winchester and Eton College cater to some of the most academically-gifted boys in the UK.
Although the school fees are high, getting admitted to the college is like winning a prized lottery draw.
Being a boarding school, all its teachers (Dons), students and support staff live on its big campus. Many of the houses on campus date back to the Victorian era and even before.
My colleagues described living in them as a spiritual experience. I wondered whether they meant their free-flowing wine and whiskey or the spirits of the many deceased occupants or both.
Both teachers and students wore a black gown during class. In summer, we were allowed to remove our gown and tie. Occasionally, some boys attempted to remove more than their shirts when they went skinny-dipping in the river.
During summer, one of my colleagues, a Literature Don, would sit at the sill of a high window to teach as the classroom could be quite stuffy.
Once, he laughed so hard at his own joke that he lost his balance and fell over to the garden outside.
When he returned to his class dishevelled, covered with dirt and flower petals, his class had the last laugh.
The small class sizes and bright students made for engaging lessons. However, boys are boys. Occasionally, when they got rowdy, I would exclaim "Alamak!" They would instantly hush up, thinking that it was some Asian expletives.
After a test, I would invite a few top students for some food and wine as a reward. Although they were below 18, the school encouraged this practice as part of positive socialisation and motivation.
The vast majority of the boys would go on to study at Oxbridge based on their academic merit.
However, I know of some exceptions. My student leader was admitted to Oxford based more on his rowing ability. The range of activities and facilities in the college was impressive. Among them are two symphony orchestras, a full-sized gymnasium and many sports fields and courts.
Besides students, some of the staff of these colleges also came with a strong family pedigree.
One of my colleagues at Winchester, for example, was the nephew of Lord Admiral Mountbatten, Supreme Commander of the Far East and a close relative of the Queen. Some of the roads in Malaysia and Singapore were named in his honour.
ETON COLLEGE AND ITS PRIME MINISTERS
In 1440, King Henry VI founded Eton College by taking the headmaster and some teachers from Winchester College.
Until today, there's a close bond and many similarities between the two colleges.
Whenever I attended any meeting or event at Eton College, I could not help but be impressed by its huge courtyard which is immortalised in the academy award movie Chariots of Fire.
The Duke of Wellington was an alumnus of Eton. Besides military achievements, he became prime minister of Great Britain twice.
His real name was Lord Arthur Wellesley and his elder brother was Lord Richard Wellesley, the ex-Governor-General of Bengal. Province Wellesley, in which Butterworth lies, was named after him.
Eton College boasts of producing 20 prime ministers for Britain. Besides the Iron Duke, other alumni who were British prime ministers include Boris Johnson, David Cameron, Anthony Eden, Harold Macmillan and William Gladstone.
Anthony Eden and MacMillan were both involved in the negotiations for the independence of Malaysia.
William Gladstone served as prime minister for four terms. He was known to stand for morality and earnestness. His anti-slavery and anti-imperialist views were ahead of his time. Gladstone criticised the Opium Wars as an unjust war.
Eton College has inspired the founding of many schools in the British colonies.
One illustrious example is the Malay College in Kuala Kangsar (MCKK) which is hailed as the "Eton of the East". It has produced generations of outstanding leaders for Malaysia, including the late Tun Abdul Razak, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, Datuk Anwar Ibrahim and Datuk Hishammuddin Hussein.
THE WINDSOR CASTLE FIRE AND "ANNUS HORRIBILIS"
During the Windsor Castle Fire in 1992, my friends in nearby Eton College were concerned that the fire might spread to the college.
Luckily, the fire was put out in time. Besides the fire, the year also saw several other national disasters too.
The British pound suffered a heavy defeat at the hands of international financier George Soros. This resulted in its sharp devaluation and an economic recession.
I still recall reading the headline of The Guardian during my breakfast on a cold autumn morning: "The Pound took a heavy pounding!"
It was sad news as my salary was worth a lot less after foreign exchange.
Coincidentally, the embarrassing "Dianagate" also occurred in 1992. This put a huge strain and maybe even a stain on the Royal Palace. Tragically, Lady Diana died in a car crash in Paris a few years later. All these led Queen Elizabeth to declare 1992 as "Annus Horribilis".
HARROW SCHOOL AND WINSTON CHURCHILL
Another famous boarding school is Harrow School located near London.
During my visits to Harrow, I never failed to notice the giant portrait of Winston Churchill hanging in its school hall.
Whenever the boys were rowdy during school assembly, the friendly Headmaster would point at Churchill's portrait. An awed silence would immediately descend.
Although placed bottom in class, Churchill managed to rise to become prime minister of Britain twice.
Churchill was famous for his defeat of Adolf Hitler in World War Two. His tenacity and intensity of character earned him the nickname "British Bulldog".
Churchill described the Fall of Malaya and surrender in Singapore the "worst disaster" in British military history. Churchill played a decisive role in shaping the destiny of Malaya through his appointment of General Templer as successor to Sir Henry Gurney.
Templer's decisiveness helped him to secure a convincing victory against the communists, paving the way for our Merdeka.
However, his critics charged him for using chemical weapons and ordering the arbitrary arrests of innocent victims.
Churchill was also a gifted orator and writer. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1953. For his supreme leadership, Churchill was given a rare state funeral upon his death in 1965.
However, Churchill refused the honour to be buried at Westminster Abbey on the grounds that "no-one walked over me in life, and they're not going to after death".
Throughout Britain, there are portraits and statues of Churchill proudly on display.
However, Churchill was known to be a racist and a diehard imperialist. With the global "Black Lives Matter" protests, there's now a rising call to remove his statues too.
It would be a historical irony if the British Bulldog, who defeated Hitler, were to fall prey to George Floyd in the end.
The rich tradition, long history and unique curriculum of these elite British boarding schools make a lasting impact on both their teachers and students.
Their famous alumni had left a lasting legacy for the British Empire and post-colonial Malaysia.
The author wishes to express his sincere thanks to the late James Sabben-Clare, the ex-headmaster of Winchester College and Chairman of Headmasters' Conference, for his support and guidance. He also wishes to thank Professor Lawrence Chia for his advice and assistance.
Gary Lit Ying Loong, a retired academic from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) Singapore, is presently a Visiting Professor to some universities in Asia and Europe. Reach him at [email protected].
Explore the traditions that makes up our country at budget friendly prices with Malaysia Airlines Promotion.
