Manchester Grammar School

By the time of Eric James, High Master from 1945 to 1962, 10 percent of the boys were Jewish, notwithstanding that the Jewish population of Manchester was less than two per cent, and competition for places was stiff. In 1947, when High Master James abolished interviews, and began admitting boys entirely on the results of a tougher entrance exam, there were nearly seven applicants for each place and reached a peak of 10 applicants per place in 1955. The direct grant scheme enabled James to tell the governors in 1946 that the new rules made the School more accessible to the poor boy, and it was gratifying that there was every evidence that the School was now completely open to any boy of sufficient merit. Clearly, the Jewish community comprised many young boys of merit, and no longer relying on scholarships alone, the link between MGS and the Jewish community grew even stronger.

The daily Jewish assembly was reduced to three times a week in about 1970, with the Jewish boys now joining the rest of the School in what became non-denominational assemblies two days a week, a welcome sign of greater integration. By the early 1990s, close to 15 percent of the boys were Jewish. The religious mix of the School had expanded considerably and the head of Religion and Philosophy Ralph Mainard, introduced the concept of separate religious assemblies once a week for Christians, Jews, Muslims and Hindus with boys enthusiastically attending whichever assembly appealed, whatever their religion. The Jewish community in Manchester currently numbers about 30,000. The number of Jewish boys at MGS remained close to 15 percent until recent years, when the number of Jewish boys joining the School has dropped considerably.

Few old boys recall any anti-Semitism from either staff members or boys. Occasional hurtful remarks from boys were due to ignorance rather than malice by younger boys who had not had any contact with Jews before joining MGS.

See also

Manchester Grammar School Jewish Society