Bristolians have reacted to Colston's School new name, with some calling the decision to change it "stupid" and "woke." Colston's School in Stapleton, which was founded by Edward Colston in 1710, announced yesterday it will be called Collegiate School from September, in a bid to be "more welcoming and inclusive."
The school reached a decision on its name after a lengthy consultation - in which the the school community and wider public had a chance to submit suggestions. It decided on Collegiate - a name which holds close ties to the school.
The school's decision to drop its association with the slave trader was sparked by events of June 2020, when Black Lives Matter protesters pulled down his statue in Bristol city centre. Leaders of the school said it now meant his name would 'forever be associated with the enslavement and deaths of African men, women and children'.
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But Bristolians commenting on the new name on Facebook have argued "you can't change history," adding they will "always know it" as Colston's School. Kathryn Gonzales-Evans said: "And what will this achieve? To please woke people? Make them feel more virtuous? There are actual modern slavery victims in different parts of the world that we can actually do something about."
Anna Meaden wrote: "You can't change what happened in the past but you can make people aware of it so they can learn from it, calling it Colston helps the kids that go there learn about the past. Most people that have things named after them have done some bad things."
Jane Hemmings argued: "Name change or not... It will still be known as Colston school for many years to come!! You can't change or re write history...."
Reginald Barker added: "Should leave the name as it was. It's all part of our history. And by learning about the past we can try to make the present and future better."
But school says the change must not be interpreted as an attempt to change or deny the school's history. Chair of the Governor's Board, Nick Baker, said: "We believe it is important that students attending the school continue to be taught about the school's history; specifically, Edward Colston's involvement in the transatlantic slave trade. In order to assist with this, some historical aspects of the school, for example the crest and motto, will be retained and explained, rather than removed."
The school’s Head, Jeremy McCullough, added: “Increasingly our student and parental body reflect the diverse nature of Bristol and we want to continue to work with our local communities in order to widen access to our school as much as possible. We believe that moving forwards with this new name will help us to become an ever more inclusive and welcoming community.”
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