Nonsuch Grammar school has long been a prestigious school in Surrey that has been a dream destination for children and parents alike.
However, in the past week, Nonsuch has been subject to protests, which have, at least temporarily, challenged the rose-tinted view that many hold of the school. After being told to “ignore it” and move on”, the 800 strong group of girls took a stand for what they believed in. When the system failed them, they took it on themselves to protest against the system, which no one before thought to gainsay.
According to student reports, two girls during lockdown were making racist comments and flaunting racist opinions via social media. In light of the protests in Minneapolis and through movements like BLM, the girls of Nonsuch felt empowered to make the change that they felt they didn’t see. They were empowered to be the change they wanted to see in the world. This protest, organised by year 11 and spanning 14-15 October, spoke out against what the girls felt was a system that did not do enough to protect its students.
One girl in year 10 felt “proud of what they have achieved together” but was frustrated still by the lack of change she saw. However, she remained hopeful, and this hope paid dividends.
Responding to a request from the Sutton Guardian, a statement released by Nonsuch High School addressed the incident and the school's response directly.
The school categorically stated they did not tolerate racism and confirmed that the student involved "has been disciplined":
"Last May, during lock-down, a Nonsuch student expressed racist views in a Snapchat argument with another student. The conversation was shared on social media.
"The incident was made known to the school last week and, following an investigation, the student involved has been disciplined," it ran.
"We are aware of the anger and hurt that has been caused by this incident.
"We do not tolerate racism at Nonsuch and are working internally with staff and students in our Race Advocacy Group and with external authorities including the police and Local Authority to address student concerns," the statement said.
What the recent protests at Nonsuch have highlighted, however, is the readiness of this generation to speak out against what is wrong. What we are witnessing the rise of an independent generation. A generation who not only will fight but will win. When more benign methods fail, a generation not opposed to taking up the proverbial arms. A generation who she affirmed was “the future of this world with a will to fight for what is right.
She passionately stated “Many wrongs could have been righted by one person who was afraid to overreact.” and that our generation “would not make that same mistake.” This is a phenomenon that we are witnessing which is something for everyone to support. For our young of today will be our leaders of tomorrow, and they have made a good start.
And this is not just limited to Nonsuch. Globally we see a rise in seeing young people taking a stand for what is right and making the changes they feel that others do not make. One need not look further than climate change activists Greta Thunberg and Ridhima Pandey, who protest against the lack of action by world leaders on a global scale. These girls protest, albeit for a different cause, for what they believe is right, which is what we are seeing throughout the globe; children willing to take a stand for what is right.
Where there was a dearth of outcry against injustice, there is now an abundance. The freedom that perhaps could not be afforded to past generations is now there for the young of today, and so far they have made use of it for the greater good.
