Eton’s head master has denied that an ‘ideological framework’ is being taught to pupils.
Simon Henderson, 47, hit back at critics who say he has a progressive agenda at the elite private school – saying he is ‘not a revolutionary’.
It comes after he was accused of launching an ‘aggressively woke’ cultural revolution in an effort to overhaul the 583-year-old institution.
This included creating a new role of ‘director of inclusion education’ to oversee diversity efforts.
Mr Henderson – nicknamed Trendy Hendy – said: ‘Eton has a particular place in the public consciousness. From time to time when there have been difficult moments I think some people have latched on to that. I would not say that I’m a revolutionary.
Eton’s head master Simon Henderson (pictured) hit back at critics who say he has a progressive agenda at the elite private school – saying he is ‘not a revolutionary’
Simon Henderson was accused of launching an ‘aggressively woke’ cultural revolution in an effort to overhaul Eton College (pictured)
‘From time to time when there have been difficult moments I think some people have latched on to that. I would not say that I’m a revolutionary.
‘I always raise a bit of a wry smile when people describe me as woke because I’m pretty institutionalised.
‘I do think there’s a danger that in society in general, fuelled by some politicians, people are trying to put you into polarised, binary positions, you either think this, or you think that, you’re either right or you’re wrong.
‘I think the word woke, what does it mean? I think it’s become a very pejorative phrase that is an easy label to apply to things you don’t like or that you disagree with.
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‘I think most people recognise that on complex, emotive, human related social issues, there aren’t often easy answers and it is complex and nuanced and you need to take a nuanced approach.
‘If by woke people mean I believe in kindness, understanding, respect, tolerance, treating people decently, trying to have empathy, trying to understand things from other people’s perspectives – then, guilty as charged.
‘But there’s no ideological framework that we’re trying to indoctrinate young people in which you sometimes get accused of.’
Mr Henderson faced backlash in 2020 when the school sacked an English teacher following a dispute over a lecture.
The £46,000-a-year institution made headlines after firing Will Knowland over a controversial lecture on the Patriarchy Paradox which he refused to take down from his YouTube account.
Mr Henderson faced backlash in 2020 when Eton College (pictured) sacked an English teacher following a dispute over a lecture.
Later that year, the school also faced outrage from parents who claimed that children were being indoctrinated by a ‘partisan, political’ woke agenda.
Nestled in Berkshire, the elite public school has educated 20 of Britain’s prime ministers with alumni including Boris Johnson and David Cameron.
The Prince and Princess of Wales are also considering sending Prince George to the school, which educated both William and Harry.
Mr Henderson, who became the youngest ever head when appointed in 2015 aged just 39, added: ‘We do celebrate Pride every year, we do celebrate Black History Month – those things are, I think, important.
‘Why wouldn’t we celebrate the experience of significant groups within our community, some of whom have perhaps been marginalised over time.
‘So, those are things we’re proud to do and I think part of being a modern institution.’
