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We all know Kurt Hahn from the image that stares down on us, day after day. But the truth behind his methods – and his schools – is far darker than you might think possible.
1. Hahn failed to recognise the basic right of happiness in children. "For all the talk of service, honour, compassion and self-sacrifice … the great educationalist and his disciples seem to have put less weight on the notion that, to learn and grow, children need to be happy. And safe."
Renton, Alex. "Rape, Child Abuse and Prince Charles's Former School." The Guardian , 13 Apr. 2015, www.theguardian.com/society/2015/apr/12/child-abuse-at-prince-charles-former-school-scotland
2. Physical abuse was common and preached by Hahn "The school was notorious not just for being tough, but for bullying... “a type of penal servitude” . Smaller children were at the mercy of older ones and violence, theft and extortion were common. As part of his initiation at Gordonstoun, Prince Charles, aged 13, is said to have been caged naked in a basket and left under a cold shower ."
Renton, Alex. "Rape, Child Abuse and Prince Charles's Former School." The Guardian , 13 Apr. 2015, www.theguardian.com/society/2015/apr/12/child-abuse-at-prince-charles-former-school-scotland .
“He revealed himself as having a fierce temper , a strong hand with the cane, and a temperament which hated being crossed.”
Flannelled Fool. London: The Hogarth Press. 1985. pp. 186. ISBN 0-7012-0590-3 .
3. His school became a hive of sexual abuse that went undocumented for many years. "Predatory paedophiles are a part of the history of many celebrated schools in Britain. But Gordonstoun’s story is particularly urgent because Scotland’s archaic laws around proving sexual assault dissuade victims from coming forward. They can mean predators, who might be brought to trial, remain at large and free to offend."
Renton, Alex. "Rape, Child Abuse and Prince Charles's Former School." The Guardian , 13 Apr. 2015, www.theguardian.com/society/2015/apr/12/child-abuse-at-prince-charles-former-school-scotland .
4. He was “ incompatible” with liberalism "WB Curry, the headmaster of Dartington Hall school, Devon, was concerned his ideas were "incompatible with a really liberal civilisation" and "the product of the tortured German soul". "I also insist that his psychology has far more roots in his own emotional nature than in the nature of other human beings," he said."
"The Man Who Taught Prince Philip to Think." BBC News , 25 Feb. 2016, www.bbc.com/news/magazine-35603975.
We are not advocating for some kind of moral absolutism, however, we think that given that this information is pertinent to his schooling and his beliefs about education - beliefs we credit for the foundation of the school - acknowledging that he is not an icon to be looked up to is important. The information above is solely from the most reputable sources we could find, there is other information that is slightly more incriminating but from not particularly trustworthy sources. We are not looking to have buildings renamed or any kind of public shaming of a dead man, however, we would like to stop idolising him. Do you remember the Kurt Hahn talks in middle school? Looking back on them now you can paint a lot of his quotes in a more militaristic and rather uncomfortable light. We don't think he or his ideals are particularly relevant to the UWC we have now, but we still believe in transparency and honesty about our origins. UWC tells us to question what is told to us, we are interested to find out how they respond when the magnifying glass is pointed at them.
Solution: Stop talking about him as the great educator, and one of the founders of modern active education. Either acknowledge the flaws about his views on education and continue to introduce him as a great founder, or reduce our reverence of him.