An Indian-origin teenager has defended his scholarship to one of Britain's most prestigious schools associated largely with the elite as a way to tackle injustice. Hasan Patel, a 16 year old self-described socialist and avid supporter of the Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. He faced lot of flak on the internet after he accepted a £76,000 scholarship to study at Eton College. Patel, who has a large Twitter following criticising the Conservative government, said while response to the news has largely been supportive, but admitted that some had accused him of hypocrisy.
Just a couple of months ago, Patel had criticised Eton's “absurd and corrupt” charitable status, tweeting that it gave the school an unfair advantage over state schools struggling with budget cuts. Patel said he was attacked on the internet for being a “champagne socialist” for accepting the privilege. He said, “I'm being called a traitor, hypocrite, selfish champagne socialist for accepting a scholarship to Eton College. I've worked so hard for this and you're not going to put me down,” he tweeted. He added, “Instead of attacking me, why aren't we talking about the inequalities in the education system?”
Patel has attracted thousands of supporters with his anti-May posts using his Twitter @CorbynistaTeen. He said the scholarship does not mean his politics would change. “This is an opportunity I cannot refuse and it wont mean my politics will change. I'll still be the same kid fighting for social justice,” he said. Patel has locked in a place at the world-famous institution that has produced several leaders including Princes William and Harry, and former British prime minister David Cameron. He passed through a tough three-day assessment, including three exams, seven interviews and a group interview. His father Abdul Patel said, “I never thought when I left India that my son would end up going to the same school as English royalty. All of this family are incredibly proud. We want him to go to Oxford or Cambridge. Being at Eton he will have a very good chance.”
