There can be few institutions more characteristic of the traditional British school than the prefect. To generations of schoolboys, the prefect was not merely an older pupil wearing a special badge or cap. In some establishments he represented authority itself.
At many public and grammar schools, particularly before and immediately after the war, senior boys were entrusted with responsibilities which today might seem remarkable. They supervised corridors, dining halls, playgrounds and school uniform; reported breaches of discipline; imposed lines and detentions; and, in certain schools, were permitted to administer corporal punishment.
The system was particularly associated with boys’ public schools, although examples could also be found in grammar schools and elsewhere.
