An Evolving Man Podcast

 What is the impact of private education on the UK? 

Should we abolish Eton?

Today on the podcast assistant professor in Sociology, Dr Sol Gamsu talks about elitism in education.

How does this show up?

And what is the impact on the UK?

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Dr Sol Gamsu is an assistant professor in sociology at Durham University. He is also a sociologist and a geographer of education with a strong commitment to the politics of education and envisaging alternative futures for education and society more broadly. 

His research focuses on elite schooling and he was one of the co-founders of the Labour Against Private Schools Campaign/Abolish Eton in 2019.

Questions for Sol:

1. I would love for you to share some of your journey. How did you get into the work you now do?
2. Why we do not need elitism in education? 
3. Why are some children worth more? What is the economic gap between state and private schools in the UK?
4. What is the impact on our education system of having such a disparity between the rich and poor schools?
5. In 2021 you wrote a report about the private-state school funding gap in England. What were your findings?
6. Could you please talk about charitable status in private schools? What is this and why is it still in place?
7. P.4: (1869): “This legislation effectively placed these schools 'beyond the reach of normal democratic process' where they have remained.” Please discuss.
8. Clarenden Commission & PS Act 1868: “great endowments were reserved for those who could pay.” You mention that this was against the founders wishes. What were the founders wishes? Is this still the case today?
9. What is the HMC? How much influence does it have?
10. What steps can we do to change the system? What are your policy recommendations?

#abolisheton #boardingschool #eliteeducation #privateschools #education

To find out more about Dr Gamsu's report please visit: https://www.common-wealth.org/publications/why-are-some-children-worth-more-than-others

https://www.durham.ac.uk/staff/sol-j-gamsu 

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Piers is an author and a men's transformational coach and therapist who works mainly with trauma, boarding school issues, addictions and relationship problems. 

He also runs online men's groups for ex-boarders, retreats and a podcast called An Evolving Man. 

He is also the author of How to Survive and Thrive in Challenging Times. To purchase Piers first book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Survive-Thrive-Challenging-Times/dp/B088T5L251/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=piers+cross&qid=1609869608&sr=8-1 

For more videos please visit: http://youtube.com/pierscross 

For FB: https://www.facebook.com/pierscrosspublic 

For Piers' website and a free training How To Find Peace In Everyday Life: https://www.piers-cross.com/community 

Many blessings, 

Piers Cross 

http://piers-cross.com/ 

A leading teacher and former head of department talks about the modern education system both private and state.

What is not working in the current system?

What needs to change?

What does he think about Ofsted?

A great conversation talking about Paul's experiences at a public school, boarding school and working as a teacher in the state system.

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Paul has degrees in Geography and ICT. He has spent much of his teaching career as Head of ICT/Computing, Business Studies, Childcare & Development and Health & Social Care. He now runs Parent Guide to GCSE with his wife, Emily, which coaches parents in how to support their children through their teenage years.

Questions for Paul:

1. I would love for you to share some of your journey. How did you get into the work you now do?
2. I would love for you to speak about the difference between the private school education system and the state school system. What was it like spending time in each of those environments?
3. What was your boarding school education like?
4. What is currently not working in the modern education system?
5. What are some of the solutions to overcoming these issues?
6. Could you please talk about mental health in our education system? What are you seeing? What are the tools that are helping the young people with their mental health?
7. What can we do to start changing it?
8. What do you think of OFSTED? What are some of the stories you have heard in your time as a department head?
9. What can we do to start getting fathers to engage more with the upbringing of their children?
10. Fathers for Justice. I would love for you to speak a bit about fathers for justice. Could you please talk about your own experiences – what is the current system like and what needs, in your opinion, to change?
11. How do people learn more about you?

#education #privateschools #boardingschool #ofsted #failingeducation #fathersforjustice

To learn more about Paul and his work please visit: https://www.parentguidetogcse.com

or: https://www.parentguidetoeducation.com/

Email: [email protected]

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Piers is an author and a men's transformational coach and therapist who works mainly with trauma, boarding school issues, addictions and relationship problems. 

He also runs online men's groups for ex-boarders, retreats and a podcast called An Evolving Man. 

He is also the author of How to Survive and Thrive in Challenging Times. To purchase Piers first book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Survive-Thrive-Challenging-Times/dp/B088T5L251/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=piers+cross&qid=1609869608&sr=8-1 

For more videos please visit: http://youtube.com/pierscross 

For FB: https://www.facebook.com/pierscrosspublic 

For Piers' website and a free training How To Find Peace In Everyday Life: https://www.piers-cross.com/community 

Many blessings, 

Piers Cross 

http://piers-cross.com/ 

A big thank you for your donations so far. 

We have raised $2500 after the first five days which is wonderful. 

Thank you. 

To watch the trailer and support the film please visit (please be aware that there is a trigger warning - some upsetting things are shared) : 

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/boarding-on-insanity/x/15184448#/ 

And if you can't financially support the film please do share via email or messenger to people who you think might really benefit from watching the trailer. 

Thank you, Piers 

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Piers is an author and a men's transformational coach and therapist who works mainly with trauma, boarding school issues, addictions and relationship problems. 

He also runs online men's groups for ex-boarders, retreats and a podcast called An Evolving Man. 

He is also the author of How to Survive and Thrive in Challenging Times. To purchase Piers first book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Survive-Thrive-Challenging-Times/dp/B088T5L251/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=piers+cross&qid=1609869608&sr=8-1 

For more videos please visit: http://youtube.com/pierscross 

For FB: https://www.facebook.com/pierscrosspublic 

For Piers' website and a free training How To Find Peace In Everyday Life: https://www.piers-cross.com/community 

Many blessings, 

Piers Cross 

http://piers-cross.com/ 

On today's conversation we explore trauma, child development, education and self-directed learning.

What is trauma? How might trauma show up as an adult.

She also talk about the modern education system. What is it like? What needs to change?

We also delve into boarding schools. What is the opinion of clinical psychologist, who specialises in education about boarding schools? Dr Fisher also attended boarding school in her sixth form. What was her experience like?

Are boarding schools developmentally damaging for children?

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Dr Naomi Fisher is an independent clinical psychologist and EMDR-Europe trainer. She specialises in trauma, autism and alternative approaches to education. She works with children, adolescents and adults. 

She is the author of Changing our Minds: How Children Can Take Control of their Own Learning (Robinson, 2021) and A Different Way to Learn: Neurodiversity and Self-Directed Education (JKP, 2023). 

Questions for Naomi:

1. I would love for you to share some of your journey. How did you get into the work you now do?
2. Could you please talk about trauma and child development? How does trauma impact a child?
3. How might these trauma symptoms show up as an adult?
4. In one interview you mentioned “School is restricting children from a natural developmental process.” Could you please explain and expand? Is school the best way to educate your child?
5. What is your assessment of modern day schools? What needs to change?
6. In your clinical experience what do you think of boarding schools?
7. In my research it seems that no child development theory suggests that taking children away from parents is a good thing. If this is true, why do you think that we still say that boarding school is 'the making of us.'
8. What is neurodiversity?
9. What is a different way to learn? What is self-directed learning?
10. What is your vision for the future regarding education of our children?
11. How do people learn more about you?

To learn more about Dr Fisher and her work please visit: https://www.naomifisher.co.uk/

#trauma #childdevelopment #boardingschool #educationsystem #education #neurodiversity

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Piers is an author and a men's transformational coach and therapist who works mainly with trauma, boarding school issues, addictions and relationship problems. 

He also runs online men's groups for ex-boarders, retreats and a podcast called An Evolving Man. 

He is also the author of How to Survive and Thrive in Challenging Times. To purchase Piers first book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Survive-Thrive-Challenging-Times/dp/B088T5L251/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=piers+cross&qid=1609869608&sr=8-1 

For more videos please visit: http://youtube.com/pierscross 

For FB: https://www.facebook.com/pierscrosspublic 

For Piers' website and a free training How To Find Peace In Everyday Life: https://www.piers-cross.com/community 

Many blessings, 

Piers Cross 

http://piers-cross.com/ 

 Today I wanted to offer some more reflections about trauma recovery. 

In my own life I used to persecute myself a lot. As Pete Walker in his book Complex PTSD says, we can often have a very strong inner critic. This was me. 

Today I share some of the teachings of David Emerald from his book, The Power of TED, The Empowerment Dynamic. 

A few months ago I recorded the first part about Victim to Creator: https://youtu.be/9b75WXHtyLs Today I share the second part. 

What is the persecutor? What is the challenger and how do we move from persecutor to challenger?

I also talk about the work of Robert Moore and Douglas Gillette in King, Warrior, Magician, Lover. What is the Tyrant? 

I also spoke about the conference which will be happening this weekend in London with Joy Schaverien and Nick Duffell: https://www.bss-support.org.uk/final-call-for-conference-2023-registration/ 

Any questions please do let me know. 

Best regards, Piers 

#codependency #trauma #persecutor #tyrant #challenger #powerofted 

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Piers is an author and a men's transformational coach and therapist who works mainly with trauma, boarding school issues, addictions and relationship problems. 

He also runs online men's groups for ex-boarders, retreats and a podcast called An Evolving Man. 

He is also the author of How to Survive and Thrive in Challenging Times. To purchase Piers first book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Survive-Thrive-Challenging-Times/dp/B088T5L251/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=piers+cross&qid=1609869608&sr=8-1 

For more videos please visit: http://youtube.com/pierscross 

For FB: https://www.facebook.com/pierscrosspublic 

For Piers' website and a free training How To Find Peace In Everyday Life: https://www.piers-cross.com/community 

Many blessings, 

Piers Cross 

http://piers-cross.com/ 

Today I am speaking with Marcus Gottlieb about sexuality in boarding schools. He talks about his experience of working with gay, lesbian and bisexual ex-boarders. 

He also talks about how boarding school was like “a penal colony on Mars” for him. He talks about fagging, being given sedatives as a home sickness medicine, what boarding school syndrome is and how it impacts adults.

A really fascinating conversation.

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Marcus Gottlieb is an experienced psychotherapist of humanistic and integrative orientation. He is registered with the UK Council for Psychotherapy and accredited by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. One half of his practice is supporting boarding school survivors.

Questions for Marcus:

1. I would love for you to share some of your journey. How did you get into the work you now do?
2. Could you please talk about boarding school syndrome. What is it and how does it impact adults?
3. How was your boarding school experience like?
4. Boarding schools claim to instil 'character', self-confidence and self-reliance. Do you agree? What is your clinical experience?
5. What are some of the symptoms of boarding school syndrome as an adult?
6. Could you talk about the impact of sexuality in a boarding school setting?
7. How does boarding school impact us sexually, especially if we are gay, lesbian or bisexual? “...all experienced their schools as profoundly homophobic environments.” P.20
8. Why is it difficult for gay men and women to come to terms with their boarding school experience?
9. Other areas to talk about:
   1. The double bind
   2. How the body restricts itself – throat, chest
   3. Denying and ignoring the needs of the body
   4. If our leaders who have attended BS have denied and ignored their own needs how might that manifest when they are looking after a whole country?
   5. Timetabling
   6. The lack of privacy
   7. BS seem to “produce compliant conformists and sabotaging rebels.”
   8. “repressive, austere, joyless institutions from which everything tactile, sensual or voluptuous was deliberately excluded.” P.20

To reach out to Marcus or learn more about his work please visit either: https://nottinghilltherapy.co.uk/

Or: https://www.bodyinmind.london/

Or the website: https://boardingrecovery.com/

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Piers is an author and a men's transformational coach and therapist who works mainly with trauma, boarding school issues, addictions and relationship problems. 

He also runs online men's groups for ex-boarders, retreats and a podcast called An Evolving Man. 

He is also the author of How to Survive and Thrive in Challenging Times. To purchase Piers first book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Survive-Thrive-Challenging-Times/dp/B088T5L251/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=piers+cross&qid=1609869608&sr=8-1 

For more videos please visit: http://youtube.com/pierscross 

For FB: https://www.facebook.com/pierscrosspublic 

For Piers' website and a free training How To Find Peace In Everyday Life: https://www.piers-cross.com/community 

Many blessings, 

Piers Cross 

http://piers-cross.com/ 

 Today I wanted to share some of the symptoms of boarding school syndrome. 

I draw upon the work of Prof Joy Schaverien and Nick Duffell. 

I also draw on my 8 years of clinical work with ex-boarders. 

What are some of the commons symptoms of having been to public school? 

You might not have had any specific trauma and yet being in the boarding school environment is considered a developmental trauma. 

How might this manifest as an adult? 

I also talk about the Boarding School Survivors conference: https://www.bss-support.org.uk/final-call-for-conference-2023-registration/ 

I will be there at the conference on the 11th November. 

And I talk about my own work with ex-boarders. You can find out more here: https://www.piers-cross.com/coaching 

And Boarding School Survivors therapists website: https://www.boardingschoolsurvivors.co.uk/private-therapy-for-boarding-school-survivors/ 

Take care, Piers 

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Piers is an author and a men's transformational coach and therapist who works mainly with trauma, boarding school issues, addictions and relationship problems. 

He also runs online men's groups for ex-boarders, retreats and a podcast called An Evolving Man. 

He is also the author of How to Survive and Thrive in Challenging Times. To purchase Piers first book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Survive-Thrive-Challenging-Times/dp/B088T5L251/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=piers+cross&qid=1609869608&sr=8-1 

For more videos please visit: http://youtube.com/pierscross 

For FB: https://www.facebook.com/pierscrosspublic 

For Piers' website and a free training How To Find Peace In Everyday Life: https://www.piers-cross.com/community 

Many blessings, 

Piers Cross 

http://piers-cross.com/ 

Childhood Trauma and Forgiveness. Why We Need to Forgive Both Ourselves and Others 

 Today I wanted to share some thoughts about forgiveness. 

Why is forgiveness so important in the healing of childhood trauma? 

I talk about why forgiveness is not about condoning what others have done but it is more about ourselves. 

When we forgive we release the resentment and the hatred that we are carrying. 

I link it in to boarding school trauma and also to Jennifer Freyd's betrayal trauma. 

Here is the boarding school men's circle I spoke about: https://www.piers-cross.com/online-mens-circles 

And here is the latest podcast with leading parenting expert Sarah Ockwell-Smith: https://youtu.be/ijqYaxlXK34 

Warm regards, Piers 

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Piers is an author and a men's transformational coach and therapist who works mainly with trauma, boarding school issues, addictions and relationship problems. 

He also runs online men's groups for ex-boarders, retreats and a podcast called An Evolving Man. 

He is also the author of How to Survive and Thrive in Challenging Times. To purchase Piers first book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Survive-Thrive-Challenging-Times/dp/B088T5L251/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=piers+cross&qid=1609869608&sr=8-1 

For more videos please visit: http://youtube.com/pierscross 

For FB: https://www.facebook.com/pierscrosspublic 

For Piers' website and a free training How To Find Peace In Everyday Life: https://www.piers-cross.com/community 

Many blessings, 

Piers Cross 

http://piers-cross.com/ 

In this episode with bestselling parenting author, Sarah Ockwell-Smith, we talk about childism.

What is childism? Sarah shares that childism is the “unconscious discrimination of children in our world – and why it impacts everybody

Why are we childist as a society? Why do we not take care of our children especially in terms of discipline and sleep regimes?

Sarah talks about her new book, “Because I Said So!” about the history of childism and .

She also shares her thoughts about boarding school. Is boarding school childist?

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Sarah Ockwell-Smith is a well known parenting expert and a highly regarded popular childcare author who writes about the psychology and science of parenting.

Sarah specialises in ‘gentle parenting’ (she is often credited as being the founder of the movement) and childism (the unconscious discrimination of children in society today).

Sarah has authored 14 parenting books, translated into over 30 languages, which have sold over half a million copies.

1. I would love for you to share some of your journey. How did you get into the work you now do?
2. Could you please explain the core principle behind your new book, “Because I Said So!”? What is the book about? What's the main message?
3. Chapter 2: P.30: Historically, how have we treated children in the UK?
4. Chapter 3-4: Has this changed now? If not, what is still happening especially regarding discipline and sleep?
5. P.153: Cognitive dissonance: Why do people dismiss the idea of childism and get angry about it?
6. Boarding schools:  Do you feel that boarding schools are childist?
7.  P.88:“Politicians, ultimately, have control over almost every element of a child’s life.” Could it be that the reason our leaders are childist is due to their upbringings in these boarding school institutions? Many of our leaders received abuse, bullying and neglect in these schools e.g. David Cameron lost a stone in weight age 7 or 8, there was sexual abuse going on when Boris Johnson was at prep school.
   P152: “People raised on love see things differently than those raised on survival.” Joy Marino, Author. Nick Duffell: “Every single child when they arrive in a boarding institution - they have to survive. And they have to survive without their parents.”
8. Could you please talk about the UNCRC (UN Convention on the Rights of Children)? Why does there seem to be such a divide between children's and adults rights?
9. Why is our eduction system not fit for purpose?
10. What is the solution? How do we become a cycle breaker?

To connect to Sarah's website please visit:https://sarahockwell-smith.com/

To connect to her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheBabyExpert

For her latest book, Because I Said So!: https://sarahockwell-smith.com/because-i-said-so/

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Piers is an author and a men's transformational coach and therapist who works mainly with trauma, boarding school issues, addictions and relationship problems. 

He also runs online men's groups for ex-boarders, retreats and a podcast called An Evolving Man. 

He is also the author of How to Survive and Thrive in Challenging Times. To purchase Piers first book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Survive-Thrive-Challenging-Times/dp/B088T5L251/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=piers+cross&qid=1609869608&sr=8-1 

For more videos please visit: http://youtube.com/pierscross 

For FB: https://www.facebook.com/pierscrosspublic 

For Piers' website and a free training How To Find Peace In Everyday Life: https://www.piers-cross.com/community 

Many blessings, 

Piers Cross 

http://piers-cross.com/ 

Please note that some listeners might find this episode triggering. We cover some subjects which some people might find upsetting to hear.

In this episode, the creator of Judge Dredd and 2000AD talks about his experiences of attending a Catholic private school in the UK.

He shares his experiences of child sexual abuse while there. What happened?

He also shares a lot of the back story around the abuse in the Catholic Church. Why has it gone on for so long?

He talks about the safeguarding operations that the Catholic Church has put in and how effective they are, the RLSS, the CSSA.

He also talks about the Knights of St Columbus and the Masons.

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Patrick Eamon Mills is an English comics writer and editor (who, along with John Wagner, revitalised British boys comics in the 1970s, and has remained a leading light in British comics ever since. He has been called "the godfather of British comics". His comics are notable for their violence and anti-authoritarianism. He is best known for creating 2000 AD and playing a major part in the development of Judge Dredd who was inspired by some of the abusive and violent monks at his Catholic boys' school. He also writes film treatments and screenplays, novels, and features, notably on World War One and is known for the documentary drama, Charley's War.

All of his stories are about fighting abusive authority figures. Pat would also be described as a whistleblower. He's got a really insightful grasp of the structure of the Roman Catholic Church, and how its highly organised structure has enabled a network of paedophiles to operate within it. He's working hard to expose this and make it more transparent to others.

Questions:

1. I would love for you to share some of your journey. How did you get into the work you now do?
2. When did you first realise that love of writing comics?
3. Could you please talk a little about your upbringing at Catholic Schools? What was being at Catholic schools like?
4. At what point did you start to uncover and realise what had gone on at school?
5. You started a website of survivors of abuse from your school. When did you realise that you weren't the only one to have suffered abuse? How did that feel to not be the only one?
6. How has the Catholic Church responded in your opinion to the claims of sexual abuse? Why do you think this is the case?
7. What about St Joseph's and the De Salle Brothers? How have they handled the claims against them?
8. What advice would you give to people who were abused at school either day or boarding who now want to speak up? 
9. Why is that so few people who were abused are willing to speak up? How can we change the system so that it becomes part of our culture to whistleblow when abuse or bad things have happened?
10. Could you please talk a little about the RLSS? How is this organisation supporting abuse survivors?
11. Could you talk about the financial exploitation of the Global South? What did you learn in your research?
12. In an interview I listened to you mentioned that children still in danger from the Catholic Church? Why is this? Have things not changed?
13. 
    

#sexualabuse #childabuse #stjosephsipswich #trauma #patmills #catholicabuse

To connect to Pat's website please visit: https://patmills.wordpress.com/

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Piers is an author and a men's transformational coach and therapist who works mainly with trauma, boarding school issues, addictions and relationship problems. 

He also runs online men's groups for ex-boarders, retreats and a podcast called An Evolving Man. 

He is also the author of How to Survive and Thrive in Challenging Times. To purchase Piers first book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Survive-Thrive-Challenging-Times/dp/B088T5L251/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=piers+cross&qid=1609869608&sr=8-1 

For more videos please visit: http://youtube.com/pierscross 

For FB: https://www.facebook.com/pierscrosspublic 

For Piers' website and a free training How To Find Peace In Everyday Life: https://www.piers-cross.com/community 

Many blessings, 

Piers Cross 

http://piers-cross.com/