Service: An Elite Institution “Virtue”

Elite schools often receive backlash for creating such difficult barriers to entry into their institutions. In more cases than not, individuals must be connected to the school in some way and at the same time have enough economic capital to afford the demanding costs. Without having either of those facets, it makes access to these schools merely impossible and further emphasizes the need to be elite in order to attend elite institutions. However, elite schools tend to claim certain values and virtues to mitigate their “eliteness” and seem more connected with those outside the school. The virtue that several elite schools choose to partake in is the service virtue. Due to the negative connotations surrounding the concept of “elitism,” elite institutions claim that they are serving those who are less fortunate “via charitable community-service activities” in order to maintain a positive image of themselves (Kenway and Lazarus 2017 p.270). By claiming certain values and virtues that make elite schools appear more virtuous, these institutions believe that they take on a greater responsibility than being elite. In spite of that, even though these schools have virtues attached to service, it doesn’t necessarily mean that their practices align with it. 

One of the pillars of the Croft school in Chile is service. It is explained as being a “fundamental part of the development” of the students at the school. Through community service, it is said that these individuals that attend the Croft school will develop a better understanding of “kindness, respect and empathy” and a “social sense of service to the community.” Having said that, throughout my time reading the transcripts of the students at the Croft school, there were numerous instances where the students brought up community service and their experiences when participating in it. Although I didn’t think much of it while I was reading, it quickly became clear that students were participating in this service, but their understanding of service didn’t quite line up with that of the school. As one student states: 

For being like one of the pillars of the Croft, social service, it’s really poor. It’s like really basic. Like you build houses like 3 times a year and then I mean the last times I haven’t gone because it’s like, they don’t need me. You need like small amount of people and it’s just too much so it’s like overdone.

This student’s response clearly shows that the practice of community service doesn’t quite line up with the virtue of service at the Croft school. So, as much as elite institutions want to use service to deflect individuals from the fact that they are elite, actions always speak louder than words. Elite schools can claim all they want that they are serving those who are less fortunate, but how often their students actually engage with those on the outside is something that can easily be manipulated to make elite schools look better. 

Overall, the Croft school is just one example of an elite school claiming a specific virtue to distract individuals from the school’s elite status. Elite institutions firmly believe that if they implement certain practices like service that they are teaching their students an important lesson while also making things more diverse and less exclusive. Nonetheless, these institutions are really using these virtues to mask their advantages in society by saying they are helping others. In the end, elite institutions like the Croft school are still creating elites and maintaining their elite status all while participating in the “virtue” of service.