Talk:Boarding school

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[edit] Question: Term used for House Advisers

My House adviser when I was talking to him once mentioned a term that gave him 'parental authority' over me signed over by my parents (and the parents of all boarders). My memory says that the term was Parental Locus but I can't seem to find it elsewhere on google, is anyone aware of the proper term that I am looking for?

In loco parentis?

[edit] Different kinds of "boarders"

"These schools take in some students as boarders and other students as semi-boarders, who would only attend school hours in the day alongside boarders and then return to their homes."

In what sense are "semi-boarders" boarders? According to this definition they are day pupils, exactly like in a day school.

"These schools might also admit some students as day-boarders. These pupils would have meals at school along with attending classes, but they live off-campus."

Does this mean that there are people who would have three meals a day on school premises, and then go home? I'm not sure what the point of that would be. If you use this term, it suggests that the definition of "boarder" is someone who takes three meals a day at the school - I always assumed it meant someone who resides at the school for some or all of term time.

"On the other hand, quasi-boarders have a different view of boarding schools as compared to most usual boarders (full term boarders), who would only go back to their homes either at the end of a term or by the end of an academic year."

As I understand it, this is hopelessly out of date. For the last few decades all schools (at least in Britain) have had half term intervals, and absolutely nobody stays for these. Moreover, there tend to be exeats, which are weekend times at which everyone leaves the campus. When I was there (early-mid 1990s), the only people who "only go back to their homes either at the end of a term or by the end of an academic year" were people from overseas, who had special accommodation arranged for them during exeats and half term.

There's also no direct mention of the weekly boarder (stay for the week and go home at weekends), which is the sort I was - I guess this is a kind of quasi-boarder?

-- Smjg 12:46, 11 Feb 2005 (UTC)

I attended a Boarding school in the US, and we had Day students. The Day students attended the school and were in fact the majority of those attending. Of a population of 800 or so students in the pre-college school (highschool) only 160 lived in the dormitories.

The day students would eat lunch at the school as part of their tuition fees, and if they were not a boarder they could attend breakfast or dinner meals (or both) by paying a small fee of $5.00USD for the meal (Or charging it to their student account).

These day students are just that, day students. Boarders participate in dormitory activities and live in the dorms as well as must abide by curfews and other restrictions whereby any leaving campus must be notified to their dormitory office, etc. Day Students when on campus and not during school hours are responsible to them selves and their parents and are rarely found on campus on the weekends accept perhaps for club or sport activities.

--Falieson 00:43, 7 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Not out of date

This article might seem out of date when selectively compared to some experimental schools and elite prep schools. However this article is valid when taking into account the systems common to boarding schools around the entire world. Robin klein 03:41, 27 Apr 2005 (UTC)

I never got the impression that the school I went to was either experimental, elite or prep. Moreover, who here goes/went to a school where people stay for the half term break? How did you pass the time? -- Smjg 14:41, 27 Apr 2005 (UTC)
Even if in many countries half term breaks still don't exist, it's misleading considering the extent to which the article appears to have been written from a British viewpoint. We ought to improve on this bit of information a bit.... -- Smjg 15:55, 27 Apr 2005 (UTC)

I agree that this article seems to have little to do with the, I think fairly typical, boarding school that I attended from 1995-2000. The first two paragraphs under "Boarding School Description" seem to have been written from a very odd viewpoint (why is it so important to list the various rooms, and what school has a "storehouse" for personal belongings?) and the minute cataloguing of different types of boarders is simply incorrect in relation to any school I know.


[edit] A General description of Boarding schools

An encyclopedia article has to cater to diverse readers. For those who have been to boarding schools this article might seem vague or even odd with all the details or the rooms and the various "types of boarders". But if one was to talk to people who have never seen/been to boarding schools, then the basic information they ask are those that might be considered mundane. Like different boarding schools and different systems and functioning, different schedules of going back to ones homes eg: pupils who visit homes every weekend; those on the other hand who return home at the end of a semester or term, etc....

Considering that many people have not been/seen a boarding school, traditional or newer ones, mundane and seemingly redundant information like "storehouse" and "bunk beds" is important detail.

While writing an article for an encyclopedia, one has to be general, especially considering an international readership. Writing a general or "universal" article about education systems or the like is an imperfect task, where variations are diverse. And most often the best option is to detail the mundane information, the traditional aspects, and from a general perspective and in this case a very broad perspective across developed and developing countries. Robin klein 04:50, 19 May 2005 (UTC)

Alright, can I make a different point and say that to my reading the first few paragraphs of this article take a somewhat negative view of the subject. I'm not arguing facts, but tone. Particularly,
...as defined by the boarding school administrators. These activities have a predefined structure and time set by the institution. These predefined schedules and norms are to be strictly followed, the failure of which could earn punishment.
, the suggestion in the following paragraph that boarding schools damage children in some way, and the sinister-sounding "total institution" in the very first sentence. These combine to give a negative, rather than a neutral, view of the subject.
As a separate point, I also agree with smjg that the categorisation of "boarders", "semi-boarders", "quasi-boarders" and "full-term boarders" is confusing, apparently contradictory, and in many cases factually wrong. I would prefer to replace them with the self-explanatory terms (in order of increasing time spent at school) day-pupil¹, weekly boarder, full boarder, while noting that this terminology does not necessarily apply all over the world.
¹ Noting that the rather more euphonious day-boy is invariably used in single-sex boys' schools.
PeteVerdon 11:32, 24 May 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Terminology

These terms are not all inaccurate, googling gives this:

  • quasi boarding school: 11 hits
  • Day boarders: 689 hits
  • Day scholars : 17,800 hits
  • Semi boarding school: 56 hits
  • Day Pupil: 5040 hits
  • weekly boarder: 611 hits
  • full boarder: 264 hits

please verify before passing off anything as factually inaccurate. In American english Day boy is common, however in British english Day scholar and Day boarder is commonly used, as per the students life at school. Robin klein 14:59, 24 May 2005 (UTC)


You say that "Day boy" is common in American English. I'll take your word for that; I'm not qualified to judge. I'm British, went to a British boarding school, and have a number of friends who went to (different) British boarding schools. The terms "Day scholar" and "Day boarder" which you assert are common in British English are unfamiliar to me. "Day scholar" I can see could arise as a legitimate gender-neutral version of "Day boy", but "Day boarder" is contradictory. A day-[boy|pupil|scholar] is the opposite to a boarder. PeteVerdon 12:17, 25 May 2005 (UTC)
At my (British, single-sex) school, the terms were "day boy", "weekly boarder" and "full boarder" (a quarter of a term at a time). I agree that self-explanatory terms should be used wherever possible. But to what extent can "full boarder" be considered self-explanatory? I guess we can suppose it means the maximum level of boarding that the school provides.... -- Smjg 16:13, 25 May 2005 (UTC)
Likewise, except that full-boarders were for half a term at a time, as (apart from the Junior school) we did not have exeats. PeteVerdon 19:05, 25 May 2005 (UTC)
... and at mine, but our half terms were called "exeat"s. Double the confusion, double the fun.
James F. (talk) 20:09, 25 May 2005 (UTC)
Of the first 10 hits for "Day boarders" all were either part of the expression 5-day boarders, meaning students who boarded 5 days a week or were about horses. The expression "Day boarders" has no curancy in the U.S. I went to two boarding schools one for grades 6-9 and one for grades 10-12. I had friends that went to at least 15 other boarding schools. I have never heard the expression "Day boarders" unmodified. Steph swhought@fcsl.edu

[edit] Terminology - Total Institutions

It is sorry that the term "Total institution" sounds sinister. However it is the term used for these institutions by social scientists in social sciences literature, eg: Psychology, sociology, anthropology etc. So it is definitely neutral or NPOV.

However, the term Total Institution is not all that sinister it has 14,500 hits on the google Robin klein 15:21, 24 May 2005 (UTC)

According to Goffman's definition in Wikipaedia, none of the paradigm boarding schools are Total Institutions: "an institution where all the aspects of life of individuals under the institution is controlled and regulated by the authorities of the organization. Total institutions are a social microcosmos dictated by hegemony and clear hierarchy. Total institutions include some boarding schools...."
This sociology is admittedly not applicable to boarding schools generally, the subject is of minority interest, and at the least contentious applicability and value (you may as well define a family as a Total Institution). This academic terminology is obscure to many readers of this encyclopaedia; and it clearly does not follow from what the author says above that it is NPOV. It sounds as though he knows little of the schools he is claiming to classify. (You can read in law reports and royal pardons how "controlled and regulated" my boarding school in central London has been!) Google will return hundreds of hits for obvious spelling mistakes, so that is hardly a measure of proper usage.
In summary, this terminology is utterly inappropriate to the first line of a definition of a common phrase. Jezzabr 17:22, 2 January 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Messy!

This whole article is written in a messy and confusing manner, and seems to be 50 years out of date in everything it says, both about the structure of boarding schools, and their use/popularity in various countries. Is there an informed person who can overhaul it? 11:12, 20 December 2005 (UTC) (Skittle)

I entirely agree that this whole article needs rewriting with a NPOV by people who know what they are writing about, internationally. We'll be told that they wear top hats at Eton next...! )

Jezzabr 17:20, 2 January 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Needs substantial revision

The section on the U.S. is so incomplete as to be inaccurate. The United States has a well-developed network of independent, private secondary schools, both religiously affiliated and otherwise, boarding and day. Many are modeled after the British public school, especially in atmosphere. Let's get cracking, chaps!

[edit] Lights out (academia)

There should be a section about bedtime, or lights-out. Angie Y. 23:45, 18 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Neutral Point of View

I think that the use of boarding schools as an attack upon indigenous cultures is a very important issue that may need more coverage from a historical perspective in this article (is this still happening?). At the same time, this article has an overall atmosphere of "modernity" that puts an excessive emphasis on social theory without any real scientific basis. In particular I take issue with the supposed benefits of prolonging childhood by keeping children within the family structure past adolescence. Is there any evidence, aside from the very factual dominance of the ruling classes, for the positive or negative effects of boarding schools? Any social practice can be done well or poorly. Since all issues associated with human society are highly complex, we must strive much harder not to make statements that are more fashionable than factual.

Speaking as a father whose children did not go to preparatory boarding schools, I think that we need to recognize that many boys and/or girls need a broader perspective than their (often disrespected) families can provide as they reach the fledgling stages of adolescence. There is a very deep and well documented history of this kind of cultural education, from the extended initiations of the australian aborigines (and other indigenous peoples) to the upper class boarding schools of the British. The main reason that my children did not go to boarding schools was expense, and it needs to be noted in this article that - mostly - boarding schools are the prerogative of the well-to-do.

Coming of age is a very difficult period in all times and in all places for people. Getting away from the idiosyncracies of any particular (amateur) family is one way of facilitating the process. I am writing this on the "talk" page because I am not prepared to do the research and find the citations to improve this article myself. Instead, I may take the lazier approach of asking for citations with every questionable assertion.Bob 00:24, 23 March 2007 (UTC)

i am doing a project on boarding schools and i was wondering if there was any good websites that i could go on that would be great


--89.100.67.233 14:49, 19 April 2007 (UTC)bobbi--89.100.67.233 14:49, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Revision

I have decided to try and improve this article. I will present my proposed change here first and if no one objects with in 24 hours I will proceed with the proposed change.

Starting with the opening section I propose to substitute this

“A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils not only study, but also live, with their fellow student and the teachers. The word 'boarding' in this sense means to provide food and lodging. Many public schools in the Commonwealth of Nations and private schools in the US are boarding schools. The amount of time one spends in boarding school varies considerably from one year to twelve or more years. Boarding school pupils may spend the majority of their childhood and adolescent life away from their parents, although pupils return home during the holidays.”

For the curent text with is as follows

“A boarding school is an educational institution where some or all pupils not only study, but they also live, amongst their peers. The word 'boarding' in this sense means to provide food and lodging. Many public schools in the Commonwealth of Nations and private schools in the US are boarding schools. The amount of time one spends in boarding school varies considerably from one year to twelve or more years. Boarding school pupils may spend the majority of their childhood and adolescent life away from their parents, although pupils return home during the holidays. Pupils may be sent to boarding schools at any ages up to eighteen.’

My reasons for the changes are as follows.

“educational institution” is awkward bureaucratic language meaning school. Nor is there a problem with using school in the definition of boarding school because school is the genus, boarding the differentia.

I got rid of the last sentence because it is untrue. Students at colleges and universities with on campus housing are often over 18 and are at a boarding school as we define it. In the long run different types of boarding school need to be differentiated and probably we need sub-pages, but for now we need to keep thing broad. 70.150.94.194 20:05, 20 June 2007 (UTC)

I believe that the next thing we need to do after the introductory paragraph is to diferentiate between types of boarding schools. I propose the following.

“Boarding school are of several types. Independent Boarding Schools with students of primary or secondary school age. These are what most people think of when they here the words boarding school. Colleges and universities with residence halls though not often thought of as boarding schools, they are technically a form of boarding school. Therapeutic schools which provide clinical inpatient services for students with disabilities, such as severe anxiety disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, Asperger's syndrome, and/or for students with substance abuse and socialization problems. Residential schools for students with Special Educational Needs, who may or may not be disabled. Specialist schools, such as choir schools or stage schools. The Israeli kibbutzim, where children stay and get educated in a commune, but also have everyday contact with their parents at specified hours.”70.150.94.194 20:23, 20 June 2007 (UTC)

A boarding school is an educational institution there is nothing wrong about that description. It is more an apt term in the lines of the Harvard Psychologist Erving Goffman. (Goffman, Erving (1961) Asylums: Essays on the Social Situation of Mental Patients and Other Inmates. (New York: Doubleday Anchor, 1961); (Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1968) ISBN 0-385-00016-2 )

→Well a school may be an educational institution, however I would bet no one says “I have to go to educational institution today.” This sort of bureaucratic language adds nothing to the article.

Churchill made this point about language after reading a civil service paper on Britain’s housing situation by standing up in the House of Commons and singing “accommodation unit, accommodation unit sweet accommodation unit, there is no place like accommodation unit.”

Furthermore, there is a good entry for school that we can link to. The entry for educational institution is a disambiguation page. The link currently part of this article is to education.

As to the article by the Harvard physiologist, I am frankly not sure why we should follow her style or lack there of. Nor why an article on prison inmates is relevant here.

In short I see no reason not to make that change. If one is given within 18 hours I will hold off otherwise I am going to make this revision. 70.150.94.194 18:32, 21 June 2007 (UTC)


Colleges and universities are not thought of as boarding schools because THEY are not. Any attempt to imply otherwise is utter POV with promotional purposes rather than an encyclopedic writing. Besides if you read the article from the beginning one could realize that Kibbutzim are communes and not boarding schools. They are a form of residential education but are not boarding schools in any way.Robin klein 17:16, 21 June 2007 (UTC)

OK I agree, but we are already calling them boarding schools in the article. If there is agreement that they are not boarding schools then I will not write that.70.150.94.194 22:20, 21 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Malta

This sure doesn't look very relevant...Promotion of the school. Elainexe 15:40, 21 June 2007 (UTC)

I agree that the Malta stuff should go. We are not advertising for individual schools here. 70.150.94.194 18:41, 21 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] A Bit Jaded?

This article only seems to promote the negative aspects and stigma associated with boarding school. It doesn't really mention the positive aspects of such an education. Could someone balance this article out a bit?

[edit] Advertisement?

"It is claimed that children may be sent to boarding schools to give more opportunities than their family can provide. In the United States for example, families interested in having their children raised in an environmentally sustainable community, prefer college prep boarding schools like Scattergood Friends School where living sustainably is a way of life."

Yes this is indeed advertisement. A lot of people running boarding schools are writing on this page. They dont even give references to what they write and denounce passages with references as negative. Robin klein 03:20, 24 June 2007 (UTC)

Mr. Klein, The reason people dislike the total institution talk which you are so in favor of is that it is just psychologizing. What does it mean? The only meaning that I can ascribe to it is that it is unhealthy to have a stiff upper lip and show some objectivity. Well that is Mr. Goffman’s opinion, but some people think that it is a virtue. This is not something that can be resolved, it just has to be made plain in the text. That is to say the total institution stuff has to be there and so does contrary material. What we really need is a good rewrite of the whole article which I am trying to do in my limited spare time. P.S. If you think I run a boarding school you are wrong, I am an OB.70.150.94.194 18:46, 29 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] History

Is it time to add a section on the history of boarding school? What do you think? 70.150.94.194 00:23, 7 November 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Revision

Unless there is some objection I am going substitute this

“Some boarding schools have only boarding students, while others have both boarding students and day students who go home at the end of the school day. Day students are often known as day-boys or day-girls. Many schools also have students who board during the week but go home on weekends these are known as weekly boarders or five-day-boarders.”

“Day students and weekly boarders may have a distinct view of day school system, as compared to most other children who attend day schools without any boarding facilities. These students relate to a boarding school life, even though they do not totally reside in school; however, they may not completely become part of the boarding school experience. On the other hand, these students have a different view of boarding schools as compared to full term boarders who go home less frequently often only at the end of a term or even the end of an academic year.”

For this

“The following terminology is not applicable in the UK, as to which please see above) Some schools are semi-boarding schools (part day school and part boarding school). These schools take in some students as boarders and other students as semi-boarders, who would only attend school hours in the day alongside boarders and then return to their homes. These schools might also admit some students as day-boarders. These pupils would have meals at school along with attending classes, but they live off-campus. There are also quasi-boarders, who stay in boarding school but return to their families at mid-week and at weekends. Semi-boarders and day-boarders (collectively called as boarding-day scholars) have a distinct view of day school system, as compared to most other children who attend complete day schools without any boarding facilities. These students relate to a boarding school life, even though they do not totally reside in school; however, they do not completely become part of the boarding school experience. On the other hand, quasi-boarders have a different view of boarding schools as compared to full term boarders, who would only go back to their homes either at the end of a term or even the end of an academic year.”

I think my version is better because it uses more self explanatory words and less jargon. Also some of the current version is just wrong. (see above talk) If any one objects within 24 hours I will refrain from the change otherwise, I will go ahead with it.70.150.94.194 16:36, 13 November 2007 (UTC)

A revision is not needed. The proposed revision would remove boarding schools as represented in many other parts of the world in its various dynamics. See the number of times the terms have been used around the world on google:

"semi boarding school" : 615

"day boarding school" 10,400

"semi boarder" : 165

"quasi boarding school" : 6

These terminologies are not "just wrong". Wikipedia hopefully does not belong only to the Britain and America. Fortunately or unfortunately there are numerous other countries and nations whose ideas and terminologies also needs to be represented on the amazing wikipedia. thanks. Robin klein 01:41, 14 November 2007 (UTC)

Ok first of all Boarding Schools as we are defining them here are largely though of course not exclusively a pan anglosphere phenomenon. If you look at the list of boarding schools almost all of them are in former parts of the empire. Thus it is reasonable to use the terms commonly used throughout the anglosphere.

Further it is not excluding boarding schools in other parts of the world to assert that schools that have both boarding and day students which call themselves semi boarding schools, day boarding schools or quasi boarding schools are boarding schools, because by those very descriptions they are boarding schools. In all those cases boarding school is the genus and (semi, day, or quasi) is the differentia. Thus all these types of school can simply be described as boarding schools that take day students. I am willing to modify my revision as follows.

“Some boarding schools have only boarding students, while others have both boarding students and day students who go home at the end of the school day. Day students are often known as day-boys or day-girls. Some schools also have a class of day students who stay throughout the day including breakfast and dinner which they call semi- boarders. Schools that have both boarding and day students sometimes describe themselves as semi boarding schools, day boarding schools or quasi boarding schools. Many schools also have students who board during the week but go home on weekends these are known as weekly boarders or five-day-boarders.”

“Day students and weekly boarders may have a distinct view of day school system, as compared to most other children who attend day schools without any boarding facilities. These students relate to a boarding school life, even though they do not totally reside in school; however, they may not completely become part of the boarding school experience. On the other hand, these students have a different view of boarding schools as compared to full term boarders who go home less frequently often only at the end of a term or even the end of an academic year.”

However I am not willing to use the term “day boarders” which as I have previously explained gets google hits because it is part of the phrase “five-day-boarders” or seven-day-boarders.” 70.150.94.194 20:58, 14 November 2007 (UTC)

→After further research I think that “quasi boarding school” should be removed because none of the hits on google are self referential. Boarding schools don’t seem to use this terminology. I will let semi-boarder slide but only three of 24 actual distinct hits refer to boarding schools the rest refer to camps, horse stables, and semi boarders in the decorative sense.

Thus I now propose this

“Some boarding schools have only boarding students, while others have both boarding students and day students who go home at the end of the school day. Day students are often known as day-boys or day-girls. Some schools also have a class of day students who stay throughout the day including breakfast and dinner which they call semi- boarders. Schools that have both boarding and day students sometimes describe themselves as semi boarding schools or day boarding schools. Many schools also have students who board during the week but go home on weekends these are known as weekly boarders or five-day-boarders.”

“Day students and weekly boarders may have a distinct view of day school system, as compared to most other children who attend day schools without any boarding facilities. These students relate to a boarding school life, even though they do not totally reside in school; however, they may not completely become part of the boarding school experience. On the other hand, these students have a different view of boarding schools as compared to full term boarders who go home less frequently often only at the end of a term or even the end of an academic year.”

Lets keep talking because I don’t want to have you revert if I make a change.70.150.94.194 15:13, 16 November 2007 (UTC)

Hi, I like the revision that you have now proposed. However, my only point is that "quasi boarder" term must remain. The rest is fine. Thanks for the cordial discussion for revision. keep it up. thanks -- Robin klein (talk) 18:10, 16 November 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Quasi Boarder

Dear Robin,

I am willing to accommodate you with the quasi boarder language but I want first a source: either a school web page, a page dedicated to alumni of a school, or a web page like a boarding school guide or the like which uses the word and describes what it means. If it means the same thing as Weekly Boarder or Five-Day-Boarder then I will add it a a synonym as follow.

“Some boarding schools have only boarding students, while others have both boarding students and day students who go home at the end of the school day. Day students are often known as day-boys or day-girls. Some schools also have a class of day students who stay throughout the day including breakfast and dinner which they call semi- boarders. Schools that have both boarding and day students sometimes describe themselves as semi boarding schools or day boarding schools. Many schools also have students who board during the week but go home on weekends these are known as weekly boarders, quasi-boarders, or five-day-boarders.”

“Day students and weekly boarders may have a distinct view of day school system, as compared to most other children who attend day schools without any boarding facilities. These students relate to a boarding school life, even though they do not totally reside in school; however, they may not completely become part of the boarding school experience. On the other hand, these students have a different view of boarding schools as compared to full term boarders who go home less frequently often only at the end of a term or even the end of an academic year.”

If it means exactly what we are currently describing it as, in other words as a class of students on a continuum of with day students at one end running through semi-boarders to quasi boarders to five-day-boarders to seven-day-boarders at the other end, then we need to know what the exact difference is between a quasi-boarder and a five-day-boarder so we can describe it with clarity and brevity.

I hope I don’t come across as pedantic, but I am strongly against jargon when it causes confusion instead of clarity for the general reader. People who are interested in boarding schools are likely to look at this. We want to provide them with enlightenment not confusion.

Stephen W. Houghton II, Eaglebrook ‘86 Avon Old Farms ‘89-- 70.150.94.194 (talk) 18:51, 16 November 2007 (UTC)

Hi, here is a paper that uses the term "Quasi boarding" -

Steven B. Levine ( 1980) 'The Rise of American Boarding Schools and the Development of a National Upper Class', Social Problems, Vol. 28, No. 1 pp. 63-94

thanks, Robin klein (talk) 00:13, 17 November 2007 (UTC)

I take your work for it, because I can't open the document. Since I can't read it can you tell me if the proposed addition above is good or if the term as another meaning?70.150.94.194 (talk) 20:08, 19 November 2007 (UTC)

I meant to say "I take your word for it, because I can't open the document. Since I can't read it, can you tell me if the proposed addition above is good or if the term has another meaning?"

If I don't hear from you by Wednesday, I will go ahead with the proposed change70.150.94.194 (talk) 21:24, 20 November 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Fee charging

While I agree that most boarding schools charge fees is it a proper part of the definition? If not I will remove. Action will be taken if there is no reply within 48 hours.70.150.94.194 (talk) 14:36, 2 May 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Military Training

We have this in the front of the article does it need to be their or would we be better off putting it further back and expanding it? Also while the US maybe the only country to have "millitary academies" as high school institutions, (though I doubt it britain cirtaintly did in the past) Millitray training at boarding schools is not solely a US thing, check out the wikipedia entries for Eton and Cheltenham.70.150.94.194 (talk) 21:24, 5 December 2007 (UTC)