Although moderator of this forum, I would like to intervene to express
my views regarding the recent posts. I very much sympathize with
gibble gabble's criticism of past pupils' motives in posting here. It
has become clear to me, often by what they say and even more so by how
they say it, that they are categorically attempting to put down the
SES and/or St James. Now this is not the objective of this board. St
James Schools no longer pressurizes pupils into joining the SES,
although it seems that those who do join are looked upon with more
favour as people who yearn to "be of use to the world" by the few
hardcore SES advocates that remain. I also believe that in my opinion
the two best teachers that taught at the Senior Boys' school left due
to their not being members of the SES. Having said all this, these
obvious disadvantages, compounded with the appointment of a pro-SES
headmaster-elect, are outweighed by other offerings of St James in
comparison to the majority of independent schools. I may be Anti-SES
but I am a firm supporter of corporal punishment - in answer to
gadflys_dreams about alternative forms of punishment now that corporal
punishment is out, the effect it has had is to increase the number of
expulsions even though the policy of the school is not to pass on
problems. It has also meant increased disorder throughout the school,
which I do not feel can be subsided by any way other than corporal
punishment.

Anti-SES