'Woke' headteacher sparks outrage as British naval heroes' names removed from houses
A Devon school has removed the names of controversial historical figures from its houses.
A headteacher has been accused of “erasing history” after changing two school house names dedicated to British naval heroes.
Exeter School in Devon has scrapped the names of ten “houses” with Head Louise Simpson saying they no longer “represent the values and inclusive nature” of the school.
Parents were told that Elizabethan-age Sir Walter Raleigh and Sir Francis Drake had “less than positive connotations” in modern times, according to The Sun.
Raleigh and Drake both played leading roles in the colonisation of North America as well as the violent suppression of Irish rebellions. Drake was also one of Britain’s earliest slave traders.
Ms Simpson is hoping to rename houses at the £17,000-a-year school after local woodlands, castles or topographical features. But alumni and parents are not so keen.
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One former pupil told The Sun: “Instead of erasing the school’s history, the mature thing to do is let the pupils think for themselves. Woke cancel culture like this just makes people question the head’s suitability for the job.”
Other house names being changed include one dedicated to General Redvers Buller, who won a Victoria Cross in the Zulu War.
Also being axed are Sir Charles Goff, Sir John Daw, Wilfred Townsend, Hugh Crossing, and Elizabeth Dowrich.
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This is not the first time a school has wanted to drop an association with controversial historical figures.
A London primary school named after Drake underwent a total rebrand last year due to his association with the slave trade.
And a school in East Yorkshire dropped links to Raleigh, Drake and even Lord Nelson in 2021 in favour of Greta Thunberg and Marcus Rashford in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests.
The Express has approached Exeter School for comment.