Christopher Herman Gilkes (1898 – 2 September 1953) was a noted educationalist and was Master of

Dulwich College Dulwich College is a 2-18 private, day and boarding school for boys in Dulwich, London, England. As a public school, it began as the College of God's Gift, founded in 1619 by Elizabethan actor Edward Alleyn, with the original purpose of ...

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

, from 1941 to his death in 1953.

Early life

He was born the son of the Reverend

Arthur Herman Gilkes Arthur Herman Gilkes MA, (1849 – 13 September 1922) was a noted educationalist, author, and clergyman, and was Master of Dulwich College from 1885 to 1914. His final years were spent as Vicar of St Mary Magdalen's Church, Oxford. Early life Gi ...

who had also been the Master of Dulwich College. Christopher Gilkes was educated at Dulwich College whilst his father was its Master and whilst at the school was Captain of the school, captain of boxing, a member of the 1st XV

Rugby Union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...

side and editor of the school's magazine.Hodges, S, (1981), ''God's Gift: A Living History of Dulwich College'', (Heinemann: London) He then went to

Trinity College, Oxford Trinity College (full name: The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity in the University of Oxford, of the foundation of Sir Thomas Pope (Knight)) is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in E ...

on a classical scholarship.''Who Was Who 1951 to 1960'', page 421, (A&C Black: London) His brother

Humphrey Arthur Gilkes Humphrey Arthur Gilkes Military Cross, MC & Medal bar, Three Bars (13 October 1895 – 11 July 1945) was a British soldier and medical doctor. He is one of four soldiers to have been awarded the Military Cross four times, all in the First World ...

became a doctor, and was one of four soldiers to be awarded the

Military Cross The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level until 1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) Other ranks (UK), other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth of ...

on four occasions in the First World War.

Career

Having completed his education he went on to become Assistant Master from 1922 to 1928 at

Uppingham School Uppingham School is a public school (English fee-charging boarding and day school for pupils 13–18) in Uppingham, Rutland, England, founded in 1584 by Robert Johnson, the Archdeacon of Leicester, who also established Oakham School. ...

under another

Old Alleynian Dulwich College is a 2-18 Private schools in the United Kingdom, private, Day school, day and boarding school for Single-sex education, boys in Dulwich, London, England. As a Public school (United Kingdom), public school, it began as the Colleg ...

, R H Owen. From there moved to

Stockport Grammar School Stockport Grammar School is a co-educational private day school in Stockport, England. Founded in 1487 by Sir Edmund Shaa, a former Lord Mayor of London, it is the second oldest in the North of England, after Lancaster Royal Grammar School, ...

where he was Headmaster from 1929 to 1941.

Dulwich College

He joined

in 1941 during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

and led the school through this traumatic period. His bravery and leadership has been cited as unfailing and unshakeable during this time, as the school suffered much damage during bombing raids. As well as suffering ancillary damage from nearby detonations, the school was hit directly, destroying a number of buildings including the

Fives Fives (historically known as hand-tennis) is an English handball sport derived from ''jeu de paume'', similar to the games of handball, Basque pelota, and squash. The game is played in both singles and doubles teams, in an either three- or f ...

and Squash courts, most of the science block and severely damaging the main school buildings as well. When Gilkes took over, the school's finances were in need of improvement and part of the reason for Gilkes' appointment was to provide a 'boldness and imagination' necessary to achieve this. The greatest step towards this was Gilkes' agreement to house boys who were participating in a

War Office The War Office has referred to several British government organisations throughout history, all relating to the army. It was a department of the British Government responsible for the administration of the British Army between 1857 and 1964, at ...

The Dulwich Experiment

Prior to his appointment, the school had had a decline in academic reputation and an urgent need was emphasised to Gilkes to raise the academic standard. Contemporaneously, the school's finances were not in good shape, as discussed, and there were discussions as to whether to hand the school to the

London County Council The London County Council (LCC) was the principal local government body for the County of London throughout its existence from 1889 to 1965, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today ...

to become a state school. The Governors were intent on the school remaining independent. Gilkes addressed the academic side by taking immediate advantage of the provisions of the

Education Act 1944 The Education Act 1944 ( 7 & 8 Geo. 6. c. 31) made major changes in the provision and governance of secondary schools in England and Wales. It is also known as the Butler Act after the President of the Board of Education, R. A. Butler. Histori ...

. One of the terms of this landmark Act was that a common entrance exam should be implemented, and any child who passed the exam qualified for a free place at a secondary school, fees being paid by the local authority. Gilkes made it clear to the

, that he wanted the college to take advantage of the scheme. Thus was born the ''Dulwich Experiment''. Both the financial and academic fortunes of the school would benefit from this and Gilkes also made clear to the school's Alleyn Club the following: ''"It is now possible to choose as our entrants the best boys, quite regardless of their father's income"''. Dulwich College had already had a good reputation for having a steady intake of LCC scholars but under Gilkes' Dulwich Experiment the scale became massive. Gilkes also managed to ensure that not only was the common entrance exam to be passed but also the college's own papers. This gave Gilkes' free choice from among the candidates. It also lowered the main age of entry at Dulwich College from thirteen to eleven, because this was the age at which the 1944 Act stipulated the change from primary to secondary education took place. Another effect of the Experiment was a huge increase in numbers at the school, going from less than seven hundred to more than one thousand.

Rebuilding

Partially, Gilkes' insistence on maintaining as normal a school life as possible during the war meant that Dulwich College became attractive to parents who returned to

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

during the early 1940s when there had been a lull in bombing. After the war, restrictions that had been placed on the Dulwich Estates Governors as to the size of the school's endowment were partially lifted to allow rebuilding to take place.

Other areas

The school's musical and drama contributions also flourished under Gilkes, and indeed the House Drama Competition, which still runs today, was inaugurated in 1948 under Gilkes. The school's various societies also began to proliferate.

Death

In the autumn of 1953, Gilkes died of a heart attack whilst on holiday with his family. He had known that he was suffering from what was diagnosed as congenital malignant hypertension for at least three years and that it would limit his lifespan. However, he had not told any of his staff. This unfortunately meant that he did not see the full fruits of his work at the school. It was later said by a former classics master of the school that ''"it was the vigour, often maybe ruthless vigour, of Gilkes that saved Dulwich."''

Personal life

Christopher Gilkes married Kathleen Josephine Trinidad in 1939 with whom he had two sons and a daughter.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gilkes, Christopher Herman 1898 births 1953 deaths Alumni of Trinity College, Oxford People educated at Dulwich College Masters of Dulwich College English educational theorists