Questions for our British friends

[spitalhouse]

Originally Posted by haroldeye

Checked with wiki and Eton was founded by Henry VI in 1440 specifically for the education of 70 Poor Boys. The fee payers sort of joined later.

Before the reformation all church schools were Roman Catholic (and educated people for the church). After the Reformation most of the church schools became protestant or anglo catholic Grammar schools and became far more secular. From about 1530 to roughly 1800 Roman Catholicism was not exactly the flavour of the month.

Eton College's origins as a charitable seat if learning are not in dispute; I merely pointed to the fact that Eton was the first school to describe itself as a 'public' school - which is a fact that stands irrespective of the principals upon which it was originally founded.

What is in dispute, however, is why the term 'public' is ascribed to the type of fee-paying schools that the rest of the world would regard as 'private' - which I think was the basis of the original query. In this context the term 'public' can not be inferred to mean free as in 'free of charge' (as you seemed to advocate), but merely free insofar as entry was not restricted (theoretically) on the grounds of class or religion.

Regards.