LONDON: Hasan Patel, an Indian origin British Muslim has won a coveted £76,000 scholarship to study at pretigious Eton College.
Eton is one of the prestigious and reputed schools of UK attended by the likes of Prince William and Eddie Redmayne, British royalty.
16-year-old Hasan won his place after a gruelling three-day assessment that included three entrance exams, seven interviews and a group interview.
However, his success did not go down well with haters who trolled him by calling “traitor” and “hypocrite” for accepting a scholarship to Eton College.”
The native of Leyton wrote: “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. Instead of attacking me, why aren’t we talking about the inequalities in the education system?” he continued on his Twitter account.
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. Instead of attacking me, why aren’t we talking about the inequalities in the education system?
— Hasan Patel 🌹 (@CorbynistaTeen) January 22, 2019
The teenager wrote that some mocked him a “champagne socialist” on his achievement.
“I’ve been called a ‘champagne socialist’ because I’ve been offered a scholarship to Eton College. First of all, I’m Muslim and most of us don’t drink. Secondly, my free school meals don’t serve champagne,” he said.
I’ve been called a “champagne socialist” because I’ve been offered a scholarship to Eton College.
1. I’m Muslim. Most of us don’t drink.
2. My free school meals don’t serve champagne. 🤷♂️https://t.co/psRsg6xDPN— Hasan Patel 🌹 (@CorbynistaTeen) January 21, 2019
Hasan admitted that he “could not be any more different” from his future classmates. “I’m a boy from a Leyton council estate who receives free school meals,” he told the Evening Standard.
“My parents are on welfare”, the teenager, whose father Abdul Patel, lived in abject poverty in India, said.
After winning the scholarship, Hasan said: “I am not joining the elite but simply benefiting from the education my family would never in a million years be able to afford”, he said.
Hasan shares a two-bedroom council flat with his parents and two brothers in East London.
Currently a pupil at George Mitchell School, Hasan is planning to study A-levels in history, geography, politics and drama when he gets to Eton in September.