Bennett has said that the boys in the play know more than any of their teachers. How far do you agree that the boys “know more” than the staff?

When first reading Bennett’s ‘The History Boys’ one may assume that the boys “know more” than the staff on the basis of their condescending nature and their naturally bright aptitudes, despite their relatively poor education (when compared with other Oxbridge candidates). We are quickly introduced to obnoxiousl and intelligent characters such as Dakin, who constantly belittles Hector's more 'cultured' approach and even Irwin, who Dakin holds greater respect for, challenging him on being 'so fucking careful' outside of the academic spheres, demonstrating his confidence in both his knowledge and his worldly approach, thus implying Dakin knows more hollistically in life, thus 'knowing more' as he is more well-rounded in his abilities. Moreover, on an objective level it is clear the boys 'know more' on the basis they get into the Universities that their teachers, especially Irwin, where unable to.
W hilst it is clear that the boys are gifted intellectually, the question of whether they ‘know more than the staff is debatable; this can be seen through the role of Mrs Lintott, with her being a catalyst to demonstrate the boys' naivety to issues outside of what they deem important. Their ignorance is demonstrated well in the interview prepation scene, in which she soliloquises on 'masculine ineptitude' and enlightens the boys to the idea that 'the interviewer may be a woman', something they scarcely considered. Whilst her feminist attitude to teaching may be considered ambitious, since the likelihood of a female interviewer in the 1980s is small due to the patriarchal nature of the academic institutions, Bennett introduces a prominent theme of gender roles into his play and consequently shows the boys to be less knowledgable on such a topic (despite the fact they themselves do not care.) One can argue that the boys do not necessarily 'know more' than their teachers, atleast culturally, as depicted in the final scene in which Ms Lintott reveals the fates of the men. Whilst they all have successful jobs, she states that they have became 'pillars of a community that no longer has much use for pillars', with this being a poignant metaphor for the role of knowledge in a globalising society. Whilst the most intellectual boy, Posner, has the most unfortunate outcome of a 'lonely life', the rest are proud of their roles based on the wealth they accumulate, forgetting the knowledge the skills and morals they were taught by Hector. To truly answer the question, one must decide on an appropriate definition of knowledge, is it to be bright and tactful or cultured and passionate? This is the dichotomy of the play, and it seems that whilst ultimately the majority of the boys care less about knowledge, they 'know more' when it comes to achieving in the world, with Bennett hear revealing the sad realities of life.