Two Etonians...Ten Questions
Shaurya Kuthiala and Ashish Mitter in a lively Q&A session with the visitors from Eton

The Doon School Weekly (DSW): In what capacity are you here at Doon?
Henry Mostyn and Rhydian Emlyn-Williams (H&R): We are supposedly here as teachers, but feel that we’re on the way to becoming Headmasters. We like to have bits of fun here and there and do so.
DSW: How does Doon compare with Eton?
H&R: Doon has a campus, which Eton does not. Doon is smaller than Eton in terms of the number of students. Doon is spacious and has large buildings, which completely remove any sense of claustrophobia. As there are fewer students at Doon, everyone seems to know each other, which we really like. Doon has a very friendly environment because of this, too. The rules and regulations of Doon are much stricter than those in Eton. Seniors at Eton do not wield the power that senior Doscos do. A new concept of equality at all forms has been implemented at Eton quite recently. However, Doon and Eton do have some similarities with respect to distribution of boys into Houses, having House Captains, using Masters’ initials etc.
DSW: What factors do you think have led to Eton being regarded as one of the best schools in the world?
H&R: Eton had developed a reputation earlier which has stuck. Some of the old traditions have remained. A couple of members of the royal family also came to Eton which gave it quite a lot of publicity. Eton is now a figurehead. It is quite similar to many other public schools in England.
DSW: Etonians are widely perceived to be snobs – do you think that this presumption is valid?
H&R: No, Etonians are not active snobs. They are snobs to others as Doscos are perceived to be snobs in Dehradun. Both Eton and Doon will have some students who fall under the snobbish stereotype, and this is undeniable.
DSW: Do you think that the idea of a boarding school is still valid in the 21st century?
H&R: Yes, definitely. In boarding schools, friendships are very strong, much stronger than friends made in day-schools. Also, a boarding school encourages the development of students in every field – sports, co-curricular activities, social-service and of course, studies. Why would the idea not be valid?
DSW: Is Eton still a preserve of the aristocracy, or are more students coming from working-class backgrounds?
H&R: Eton provides scholarships and most of the students who study there are from upper middle-class families. However, Eton is still quite expensive.
DSW: Keeping all factors in mind, is it possible for Eton to turn co-educational?
H&R: In our belief, it is just not going to happen. There is support for Eton to turn co-educational, but it is not on the agenda. It doesn’t really fit the image of Eton and is not considered very seriously, which it should be.
DSW: Doon is privileged to have an influential ‘Old Boys’ community. Does Eton have such a community? How powerful is it, if so?
H&R: Eton is quite similar to Doon in that respect. Teams of the Old Boys do come back to play cricket, football and some other sports. The community is not very influential in altering or making decisions about the school, but they do give donations, hold talks, and, as we said, play sports against the school. Many of them send their sons to Eton as well. It is also a rather large community.
DSW: How did it feel to have Prince William and Prince Harry in school?
H&R: We never really interacted with them. They didn’t have an impact on us. We would see them moving about, but they acted like they were just like any other Etonian. One noticeable change was that security had been strengthened.
DSW: Many boarding schools face the problem of having to keep up with the times without letting go of their traditions. Does Eton face this problem, and if so, how does it cope with it?
H&R: We have got a progressive Headmaster at Eton. He has retained most of the standard traditions, but is doing away with the bad ones. The school is becoming more liberal in these matters, but is firm when certain traditions like attending the Chapel and wearing school uniforms are concerned. The Headmaster has done a good job, though he is becoming more removed from the boys. In some ways and traditions, Eton is still considered eccentric.