The King’s School: Headmaster Tony George rants on ‘wokeness’, clickbait media and the ‘age of victimhood’

The headmaster of an elite Sydney boys’ school has blasted recent criticism against single-sex schools, claiming “wokeness” has led to an “age of victimhood”.

The headmaster of an elite Sydney private school has blasted recent criticism against boys schools in a scathing article claiming “wokeness” had led to an “age of victimhood”.

The King’s School Institute, Headmaster Tony George, said a recent “cancel culture” against boys schools had been spurred on by what he considered “clickbait” media reports.

“Government single-sex schools have seemed to avoid criticism, as have single-sex girls’ schools,” he wrote in the school’s Leader publication.

“However, the underlying agenda against the straw man of white privileged males has fuelled the creation of the term toxic masculinity and the religious fervour it subsequently generates.

“The concept of identity abuse, where individuals are misrepresented and objectified for sensationalism, is a disturbing trend with children attending non-government schools being increasingly targeted and ridiculed.”

The article by Headmaster George criticised sections of the media and government for unfairly targeting independent boys’ schools with narratives like toxic masculinity and elitism, which he argued distract from their societal contributions.

The King's School in Parramatta.

“Toxic masculinity has become a memetic cliche of progressive extremism,” he said.

“Unfortunately, genuine critical reflection and action has given way to movements of cancel culture.

“For example, ‘wokeness,’ initially a call for heightened awareness and sensitivity to social and racial injustices, has evolved into a broader social movement of complaint and victimhood.”

Mr George’s rant also lambasted a “shift in modern journalism” while asserting there is a “decline in critical thought in contemporary media.”

The North Parramatta School, founded 1831, boast notable alumni including former premiers, supreme court justices, and an NBA player among others.

In late 2023, it was reported The King’s School, as well as Trinity Grammar, Cranbrook, are among Sydney’s elite institutions which charge prospective students a non-refundable enrolment fee.

The King’s School increased its fees by 5 per cent in 2023 to $43,560, making it the forth most expensive boys’ school in the state.

Mr George’s comments follow recent probes into the sexism and misogyny in Australian private schools.

A viral petition signed by 3000 victims circulated in 2021, bringing the issue of sexual assault during their school years to light.

Cranbrook School, another boys school in Sydney’s Bellevue Hill, this year came under scrutiny after ABC’s Four Corners aired serious allegations of sexism.

Nicholas Sampson, the headmaster, stepped aside following fresh allegations he kept a teacher on at the school even after discovering the teacher had allegedly previously engaged in inappropriate conduct at a different school.

Cranbrook joins Newington College in transitioning from boys schools to co-ed in the coming years.

In late January, news images of Newington parents declaring the move “woke” went viral.

However, recent coverage of New South Wales boys’ schools has caught the ire of Headmaster George.

Headmaster Tony George. Picture: Gaye Gerard / NCA Newswire.

“Instead of acknowledging and celebrating the significant achievement and contribution of independent schools to society, sections of government and the press seem intent on deriding independent boys’ schools with any story they can concoct, invariably referencing the kinds of clickbait memes that tantalise memetic cliches, such as toxic masculinity, linked to stories on single-sex schooling, or elitism linked to stories on school fees and funding,” he said.

“Consider, for example, the tabloid infatuation with the school fees of the top 1 per cent of schools instead of the brain drain affecting more than 90 per cent of NSW government schools by their own selective schools.”

Mr George informed the Sydney Morning Herald that other states have shifted to a more comprehensive assessment of success by concentrating on the median ATAR, rather than the proportion of students achieving in the top band of their subject.

He suggested that the NSW government’s decision to expand the state selective school system was influenced by media interest in top-performing students.

The NSW Department of Education conducted a survey through PR firm SEC Newgate to understand the opinions of the community regarding coeducational schooling.

The results showed that 76 per cent of parents with primary school-aged children preferred a co-ed high school for their child.

This year, a significant revamp has taken place in 20 catchment areas of the inner west and southern suburbs, providing access to co-ed schools for thousands of additional families.