What on earth is 'Secret Cult'?
A book written by two Evening Standard journalists, Peter Hounam and Andrew Hogg, after they had exposed the cult in the newspaper. The book I have is Copyright © 1984 Peter Hounam and Andrew Hogg / published by Lion Publishing plc (England) ISBN 0 85648 837 2, Albatross Books (Australia) ISBN 0 86760 605 3 / First edition 1985 and has as sub-title:
What is the SES, and what does it really teach?
It offers evening courses in 'philosophy' without mentioning that their inner-beliefs are based on Hinduism. Only after some time the 'student' will be invited to an 'initiation' ceremony which is of Hindu inspiration. A few quotes of 'Secret Cult' to show how far the Hindu tradition has permeated the 'School':
Page 144 -- The SES's term for God is The Absolute and the man closest to The Absolute is Leon MacLaren, the SES's seventy-three-year-old leader.
Page 170 -- The Standard also highlighted the emphasis on corporal punishment at the boys' [SES operated] schools, and the use of cold showers at St Vedast School for Boys as an additional sanction.
A look at the exercise-books of pupils attending St Vedast School for boys shows just how far SES philosophy, much of it taken from the Hindu tradition, permeated the teaching. A twelve-year-old boy, who attended the school in the early 198Os, was instructed to write on Page One of his geometry exercise-book, under the heading `Axioms':
- The Absolute is Constant.
- All and everything is Absolute. It begins in the Absolute, is sustained by the Absolute, and finally returns to the Absolute.
- In order to create anything in time and space, the Absolute takes its stand in time and space.
- Everything in creation is measured.
- A point is a position in time and space. Where the forces of the Absolute are concentrated for creation, the point is a word.
- Wherever there is multiplication there is division and vice versa. wherever there is addition there is subtraction and vice versa.
The same child's history book provided further fascinating insights into the St Vedast view of a subject which for most schoolboys revolves around 1066 and all that.
On the first page of the exercise-book he has written:History is the story of man's return to his creator, his successes and his failures. We learn about great men so that by their example we too lead noble and upright and honest lives, suitable to the dignity of a human being. We learn about evil men so that we may be aware of the dangers of selfish ideas and the evil then can cause."
In which countries is the SES active?
According to the authors of 'Secret Cult', quite in a few countries under different names.
Page 58 -- Today the SES is active in Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Canada, Greece, Cyprus, Malta, Belgium, Holland, Spain, Ireland, South Africa, Trinidad and even Fiji. The network may be even bigger, for this is not an exhaustive list. The secrecy of the cult extends as much to its overseas operations as to its activities in the United Kingdom. One factor that makes the SES difficult to spot is that is does not have an internationally standard name. In some countries it is called the School of Philosophy, in others the School of Economics and Philosophy, in others the School or Society of Practical Philosophy. This has led some senior SES figures to claim that these overseas organizations have no connection with the SES at home. The evidence is strongly to the contrary. The entire world-wide network is still centered in Queen's Gate, Kensington. SES leaders gather from overseas regulary in England for conventions dominated by The Master, Leon MacLaren.
More information in English
- Parts of the 1997 Belgian Parliament report pertaining to SES in Dutch , English and French
- The Introduction of 'Secret Cult' and Chapter One .
- Part pertaining to Belgium and Holland of 'Secret Cult'
- An into English translated interview for a collage magazine as far as I know, with Dutch ex-member Wendy Diekstra
- The American Family Foundation has a Group Resources page on SES
- Article in The Philosophers' Magazine: Course Or Cult? by Jeremy Stangroom
- Former pupil of Saint Vedast school seeks contact.
St James Senior Boys headmaster Nicholas Debenham still defended corporal punishment in 1998
- Daily Telegraph, London, 30 October 1996
Love must come first but caning works, says head
- The Independent, London, 30 October 1996
Caring headteacher who believes beating can be good for his boys
http://www.corpun.com/uksc9610.htm
- Move to ban 'six of the best'
Tuesday, March 24, 1998
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/68965.stm:
"Nicholas Debenham, headmaster at the St James School in Middlesex recently suspended the use of corporal punishment until the law is clarified.External pages
He says he makes no apologies for his belief in the effectiveness of caning a persistently indisciplined child. For years many in the teaching profession agreed with him."
- Anti-SES discussion group
http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/anti_ses/- Information about the School of Economic Science by DIALOGUE IRELAND
http://www.esatclear.ie/~dialogueireland/ses1.htm
Note that I don't support INFORM, Eileen Barker is not an objective source in my opinion.
- SES' own websites
www.schooleconomicscience.org and www.practicalphilosophy.org
www.soph-be.org and http://www.infocentre.com.au/philosophy/One such page states: "In 1994 Leon MacLaren died and was succeeded by Donald Lambie who now continues to lead the School."
These are the schools affilated to the SES movement. Note that this list is gained from their own websites.
AUSTRALIA
Erasmus School - Melbourne
www.erasmus.vic.edu.auAUSTRALIA
John Colet School - Sydney
johncolet.nsw.edu.auENGLAND
The Alcuin School - Leeds
www.alcuin.freeserve.co.ukENGLAND
St. James - London
Junior/Senior Boys and Girls
www.stjamesschools.co.ukNEW ZEALAND
Ficino School - Auckland
www.ficino.school.nzUNITED STATES OF AMERICA
The Abraham Lincoln School - New York
www.abrahamlincolnschool.org
==========
Renamed to Philosophy Day School
www.philosophydayschool.orgSOUTH AFRICA
St. James Preparatory School for Boys & Girls
JohannesbergIRELAND
John Scottus School - Dublin
www.johnscottus.ieTRINIDAD
The Renaissance School
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Dutch only information
Op http://www.globalxs.nl/home/a/arfel/svf.htm had Erik oa een introductie en een interview met een ex-lid en nog wat spulletjes staan. Helaas is die site verdwenen maar heb ik toestemming zijn pages hier te gebruiken.
- Geschiedenis van de School voor Filosofie
- Tekst van het inwijdingsritueel
- Het verhaal van ex-lid Wendy Diekstra.
Nog wat SES/SvF gerelateerde links
- De School voor Filosofie (www.schoolvoorfilosofie.nl) en School voor Praktische Filosofie en Spiritualiteit (www.praktischefilosofie.nl).
- De aan de groepering verbonden Platoschool (www.platoschool.demon.nl) heeft de deuren gesloten, een school - waar blijkens een Parool artikel de directeur mogelijk 2 kinderen zou hebben mishandeld: "De school voor lager- en voortgezet onderwijs raakte vier jaar geleden [ook al] in opspraak omdat drie leerkrachten lijfstraffen toepasten."
- Volgens een Volkskrant artikel heeft het openbaar ministrie vervolging ingesteld wegens mishandeling.
- Eind van het schooljaar 2001/2002 heeft de Platoschool haar deuren moeten sluiten. "Het college [van Amsterdam] heeft ingestemd met het afkopen van de eigendomsaanspraken van de stichting Platoschool op de gebouwen aan de Fred. Roeskestraat ad € 480.000. Door een teruglopend aantal leerlingen moet de Platoschool voor voortgezet bijzonder onderwijs aan het eind van het schooljaar sluiten. Behandeling in de raadscommissie is op 28 augustus en in de gemeenteraad op 18 september." -- Nieuws uit B & W nummer 27
Merk op dat op de Engelse SvF/SES scholen lijfstraffen ook voorkwamen, zoals ex-leerlingen tegenwoordige bespreken op het message board . Sommigen menen echt psychologische beschadigd te zijn door de willekeurige afranselingen en lopen er nu nog mee, jaren na hun school tijd.
- Tegen betaling is de einduitspraak over omzetbelastingplicht School voor filosofie van de Hoge Raad op te vragen (uitspraak 18.9.1991) . SvF moest f 464.934,- betalen omdat ze structrueel hadden getracht een overschot op te bouwen in het inkomen voor de aanschaf van gebouwen.
Algemeen.
- Sekten in de Europese Unie verslag . Commissie openbare vrijheden en binnenlandse zaken (Rapporteur: Maria Berger, voorzitter: Hedy d'Ancona) van 11 december 1997.
- SIMPOS (Stichting Informatie over Maatschappelijke Problemen rond Occulte Stromingen) heeft ook een School voor Filosofie page.
I wish to thank Erik for granting permission to web his SES pages - which are no longer available - and the trouble of forwarding them to me. Thanks also to Anton Hein for translating Wendy Diekstra's Story .
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