Sir: Sandra Barwick's article on bullying at co-educational schools is
excellent as far as it goes. However, its conclusions — that girls are bullied at schools such as Marl- borough because they are in a minority is not borne out either by my own experi- ence at Bedales, one of the oldest co- educational schools, or by recent resear- ches for my forthcoming novel A Private Place.
Two years ago in the Observer I re- corded very similar experiences and observations to those provided by Miss Barwick's anonymous interviewees: inde- cent assault, `body fascism' or an obsession with physical appearance so intense many girls become anorexic, the perceptions of girls as sexual prey rather than friends or equals, and the unceasing persecution of those who were academic, articulate and determined not to be cowed by a norm which was clearly wrong.
This article produced a huge response from other former pupils (men as well as women) of fully co-ed public schools, all agreeing with the points I made. It also produced a letter, published in the Obser- ver from the current headmaster, E. McAl- pine, which claimed that as I had been a pretty girl he was not surprised by my experiences. (This dangerous twaddle was later followed by an abusive telephone call to my home.) Such an attitude may strike many as being on a par with the official response to the reported Marlborough incident.
It is essential for parents to consider precisely what may happen to their chil- dren at a co-educational public school, and to ponder the question as to whether exposing their offspring at puberty — when boys are at their most brutish, and girls most easily intimidated — is really such a good idea. As Miss Barwick noted, few of those who suffer are willing to 'take the consequences of breaking the tribal code by being named'. For the sake of those who may even now be enduring the same miseries, it is imperative that they should cast aside such fear.
Amanda Craig
20 Falkland Road, London NW5
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