Shakespeare and social capital

Sunday. Caught up on back issues of The New European and stopped on an article by journalist and author @GaryNunn. He was reflecting on being a social mobility experiment and how he and Wes Streeting, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, both experienced what university was like via a Sutton Trust Summer School.

Nunn experienced Nottingham University. Streeting, Cambridge. The aim of these summer schools was – and is – giving young people from disadvantaged backgrounds some advance experience of the environment their talent could take them to. An environment which could, let’s face it, easily turn them off and away, because it in no way reflects the world they grew up in.

This all made me think of my secondary comprehensive school and the head teacher who led it for the best part of three decades. I found a 2003 article in TES Magazine, where the school is described as drawing from the best of the public school tradition, particularly in relation to extra curricular activities.

I benefited in abundance – not everyone did – from the sport, drama, art and music opportunities. There was even a debating society for a while (Rory Stewart would be pleased), as well as house competitions and trips. One of which took place every year – a two week stay at a campsite in Stratford-upon-Avon, during which we saw every play going, at all three of the theatres.

Our head teacher was obsessed with Shakespeare you see. He’s quoted in the TES article as saying “I love Shakespeare and I love my students. Shakespeare’s work has the deepest understanding of humanity I know, and when I see my students, every year, exploring these great mysteries and doing it well, it’s so uplifting.”

I do need to say again that not everyone felt included in this kind of activity but I do think that, in general, it was a very positive and involving school. For those of us who did go onto university – after our small town comprehensive – the traditional grounding we received, meant that the cultural shock and imposter syndrome we could have experienced, was lessened.

Reflecting back now, it meant that no-one at university felt alien to me, whatever schooling they’d had, even those who went to the leading public schools. I obviously spent as much time as I could making them justify it.

I guess what we’re talking about here is being handed some social capital – some inside track on what different situations involve. Being exposed to environments, protocols and opportunities outside of your immediate sphere and feeling more prepared for them.

It’s what my head teacher did in his own particular way, via Shakespeare camps, sixth form plays, annual Shakespeare performances and his selection of teachers, who gave so much of their own time to our extra curricular activities.

I wish there was more social capital sharing going on. But self-declared elites, anti-wokeism, rising protectionism and obsessive consumerism – as well as under investment in everything for the social good – are all conspiring to close doors, not open them. The trajectory I thought I was on – and assumed the next generation after me would consequently be on – is feeling very wobbly.

Please share your social capital today.