Fagging

Fagging is a historical practice once common in British boarding schools and some colleges, in which younger pupils performed duties for older students and staff as part of a formalized hierarchy. The term was used primarily from the 16th through the 19th centuries and persisted in some places into the early 20th century. The origin of the word is uncertain, and the term in this sense is distinct from later pejorative uses outside of historical context.

In typical arrangements, the youngest boys were designated as fags and worked under the direction of older pupils or "prefects." Their duties often included running errands, delivering messages, serving meals, cleaning and polishing, dressing rooms, and assisting with various tasks around the house and school. In some schools, fags slept in separate quarters and were subject to a strict code of conduct, while in others the system operated with more informal oversight. The older students, in turn, retained privileges and formal authority within the house or school.

The fagging system was supervised by staff members such as housemasters or designated fag masters, and in many places by senior pupils who acted as arbiters of the rules. While some accounts describe it as a form of apprenticeship or social training, other reports note that it could involve coercive or harsh treatment and unequal power dynamics, with abuses varying widely by institution and era.

Decline and abolition occurred gradually through the late 19th and 20th centuries as educational reform and changing attitudes toward discipline reduced or eliminated the practice. Today, fagging is discussed primarily in historical or literary contexts, and the term can carry connotations tied to broader discussions of hazing, social hierarchy, and the ethics of youth labor.