Eton College and Anti- Social Behaviour. We explore the ASBO culture that exists at the school and how a government funded project has been set up to deal with the problem.

It could be a scene anywhere in any town up and down the country. Tucked in between the pub, the coffee shop, WHSmith and a scattering of clothes shops (including Next, Abercrombie & Fitch and an upmarket school uniform boutique), the familiar red and green signs and gaudily lit shop front of a 'SPAR' convenience store illuminate the pavement, casting shadows across the road towards the monumental dark building opposite. Clustered round the door of the SPAR are four youths, shuffling on the spot, dancing against the cold night air, tugging idly on cigarettes and clutching long cans of sugary, super- caffeinated drinks with names like 'Demonia', 'Evilina' and 'Bollatrix.'

However, this is no ordinary town, this is no ordinary SPAR and this is no ordinary group of youths.
The Town is Windsor, site of the famous castle and close neighbour of Eton College, the SPAR shop is a carefully prepared mock up with real stock, tills and money, and the group of youths are all pupils at the elite school.

Tourists and locals would be forgiven for believing that the hoodie-wearing boys were from the local housing estate but they are part of a special project, partly run by Eton College and partly funded by the government.

'What had until recently been a closely guarded secret, can at last be revealed as we are allowed behind the scenes of something that Eton believes will revolutionise the way its pupils are prepared for high office. Kurshid, one of the boys explains, his breath freezing in the night air: "Most of us at the school, come from privileged backgrounds, my father is Transport Minister in my country and we live in a huge house with servants.It is impossible to meet the common people because I would undoubtedly be killed. Here it is relatively safe and I need a much smaller phalanx of security."

Caspian,16, joins in, his hood pulled over his head; "Until this scheme started it was usual, at the school, to laugh at working class people, mock their accents and avoid them at all costs, indeed it is the school ethos that successful leadership is only possible if the lower classes, those who have no knowledge of  Moliere, say, are regarded with, at best, derision and at worst suspicion"

Ed, also 16, eyes the customers leaving the 'shop' and draws a deep breath: " these people, if you want to call them that, were bred for centuries to work and serve. Indeed my Great,Great Great Grandfather was one before he founded Barton & Joyce, the big stores in the North East, on which my family's fortune is based. However things are changing, leaders, whether they be in government or business are expected to communicate with their employees, listen to them, even give the impression of deferring to them occasionally, which does not come easy if you believe there is a distinct natural order."

The fourth boy, 18, who wished not to be named, shuffled uneasily: " We'd much rather 'socialise' to use a Marxist word, with our peers, studying Machiavelli, the finer points of Trollope and Racine and the French Symbolists, than stand here in the cold trying to 'identify with the yoot', but one day we are going to be controlling the destinies of them as members of our class have done forever."

Kurshid explains the scheme, "We dress up as chavs and do what they do for a couple of evenings after 'woat' or late school, some of the boys run the shop and learn how to serve customers and give change. It's not a real Spar shop and all the money goes to the school but the guy that owns SPAR is a Jabbett or old boy and helped set up the scheme. The worst bit is actually having to talk to 'spoats' or ordinary people, its not so bad here in Windsor but some of the boys do this in Slough!"

All the boys are agreed that one part of the task is particularly irksome, Ed explains: "standing out here you get a lot of attention from local girls, some of them quite aesthetically, and dare I say, erotically pleasing, but we are not allowed to get involved and it can be a bit difficult especially in these loose tracksuits! Interbreeding is a big no no of course!"


Next time we meet the boys in the shop!