On Monday, hundreds of Wellingtonians marched on Parliament to speak out against rape culture and call for compulsory consent education in high schools. But what goes on in schools - particularly all-boys schools - that creates this culture? Former Wellington College student Estlin Howland shares his thoughts.
OPINION: Throughout my time at Wellington College I was affected by, observed, and regrettably participated in many socially backwards practices.
Bullying of teachers and students, catcalling, and more, are all pushed onto you in your junior years. This got really bad approaching the McEvedy Shield, an annual athletics competition between four Wellington boys' schools. Every morning bus rides started off with all the seniors commanding everyone to "stand the f**k up" and chant, or face being berated by a busload of teenage boys.
Whilst some would like to say that it's all a part of growing up and everyone will learn what is right and wrong by the time they are put out into the 'real world', I think it is safe to say that is not the case.
All-boys schools - of which Wellington College is just one - unintentionally provide an incredibly toxic social atmosphere where the strange hormonal changes and misguided or misinformed ideas of young teenagers are allowed to fester.
In some cases this problem self-corrects; people grow out of fighting and learn how to constructively socialise with people they may or may not like as the social and maybe physical repercussions just aren't worth it.
- Wellington College headmaster: sex comments 'real', have 'serious consequences'
- Second Wellington school faces sexual misconduct problem
But, in spending the majority of our time in isolation from girls, never are our misguided ideas about other genders ever challenged by the reality of their implications on the people whom they directly affect, and by the time we are set to leave the secluded social echo chamber of our high school these ideas can be well ingrained.
Many teachers do what they can and have never (in my experience) endorsed any amoral social ideas. But when faced with 30 opinionated teenagers and fleeting time I can only imagine teachers must wish that what social and sexual education is part of its curriculum had any effect, as it may as well have not existed when I attended Wellington College - all I can remember being taught was how to use a condom and how scary STIs were.
Frequently, all-boys schools have a strong drive towards academic achievement, to the point that classes are intentionally streamed from year nine to place all the best students together. This naturally means all the 'worst' students also get placed together, meaning many classes (mine included) rarely learned anything for the first few years of high school, as the classroom atmosphere simply didn't allow it.
Whilst this approach produces more scholarships and a few higher achievers, it hurts overall learning as many kids who may or may not have wanted to learn only got the opportunity after they were years behind some of their peers.
I think doing away with the notion of single sex schools, introducing relevant sexual health education that runs throughout high school, and switching focus from high academic achievement for the few with a focus on greater learning for the many, would go a long way in stopping the gross culture that has been on display recently.
Estlin Howland graduated from Wellington College in 2014 and is preparing to begin tertiary study at Victoria University.
