I went to boarding school from the age of 9 to 18. I think that whilst there are some good things about boarding such as becoming independent, on the whole it is really damaging to kids. The main problem is that you are there all the time. You dont get to go home at the end of the day to people who unconditionally love you. You are with people who may bully you and people who really dont care about you all the time. The staff of course do not love you so you grow up being surrounded by people who even if they care about you do not put you and your welfare first. There is no room for fun because all the time you are having to follow school rules and the threat of punishment hangs over your head. You can never let loose and lose control. But it is the fact your parent/s leave you there in the first place that I think is the most damaging. You are left thinking that you are not worth anything more than the misery you are being exposed to. That your tears of home sickness are not valid and that your family dont want you. I will never send my kids, should I have them, to boarding school.
Cracked