As an ex-police officer and now Catholic headmaster, I am well aware of the potential dangers of running an institution comprising several hundred young, and therefore vulnerable, people who are being asked to do a range of things, some of which they would most probably not wish to do. Volatile outbursts, carrying in emotional baggage from home, issues of mental health – so often taking an age to be addressed by over stretched agencies- all these factors add to the heady mix. And yet atrocities like that witnessed this week are extremely rare. Why? Is it because of high spec safety measures ?
As a nation we have a diverse estate of school properties with security ranging from what one might call 'industry standard protection' right across to “gentle deterrent”. And while such measures help they are rarely a feature of the classroom – meant to be a safe and stimulating learning environment – where Ann Maguire’s recent tragic death occurred
Is it, then about coercive regimes? Well, reading the popular press one could be forgiven for believing that the job of a great teacher is to scare children into submission though this is not a sentiment shared by many educational professionals with whom I have ever worked. And most people whose lives have been positively affected by a particular teacher tend not to begin our acclamation with “he terrified us” – more common is the passion showed for their subject or the fact that they really cared about me and would never give up on me. And here's the rub.
The reality is that our system is predominantly a consensus-based approach. Just like my previous occupation as a police officer, our schools fundamentally succeed because there is a buy-in by those taught.
In my own school we recall St John Bosco's sentiment that it is not enough that a young person is loved – they must know they are loved. (A more fitting definition of a Catholic educational worldview I have yet to encounter.)
Clearly this consensus can sometimes seem well hidden on occasion. Yet repeatedly the hallmarks of good schools – especially Catholic schools – is that “my teachers do want the best for me” - or at last that they have something of value to offer.
Ann Maguire has been rightly eulogised. One Tweet refers to her making Year 11 the best year of the students' lives and for being “probably the best teacher ever”. This does not happen where children are coerced – it happens where skilled and caring teachers go the extra mile. It happens where education entertains the possibility of love.
Simon Uttley, Headmaster, Saint John Bosco College, London SW19
Violence is a phenomenon we cannot understand. There are many people living in very deprived areas who would not contemplate ending a life of their teacher or another human being. Tragically and carelessly losing a great teacher can traumatise a community like Corpus Christi Catholic College, Leeds, for years, in overt and subtle ways.
The influence of great teachers on a community is amazing. A mother told me recently that her son often believes her only after his teacher, whom he calls “Ms”, has given a green light. "When I give him advice, he tells me he will first consult “Ms”. If “Ms” is in line with my thought, my son will readily accept advice. So the power of teachers is not to be taken lightly," regaled the mother. "Mind you, the children are largely right. It is with the teachers that they spend a large part of their day." She added.
And so when a vibrant life of a beloved teacher or any other vocation or profession, is cut short, coming to terms takes forever.
In August 1988, a much loved Ugandan religious, Sr Monica T Beebwa, a Daughter of Mary and Joseph, was gunned down at her convent in Kabare, Uganda. In April 1991, a much admired French Missionary of Africa, and educator, Fr Alexandre You, was murdered at his new post, at Ibanda Parish after having served us at St Joseph's Vocational Senior Secondary School, Mbarara, Uganda, first as deputy and later head for seven years.
The two events were devastating and difficult to digest. At both funerals, at Nyamitanga, Mbarara, attended by hundreds of young people, you sensed the utter senselessness of violence. One sensed the cracks and the fault lines of humanity. As we bade them farewell, there was, on both occasions a sense of solidarity that went beyond description. Sobbing mourners of all faiths and ages filled the Cathedral to overflowing. A silent and penetrating sense that good is but stronger than evil, and that in many ways there is more to life than our physical presence.
The violent end of the lives of Ms Anne Maguire, Sr Monica Beebwa and Fr Alexandre You is linked to the senseless and endless acts of violence on millions of God’s images (in D.R Congo, Syria, Libya, Palestine, Iraq, Egypt and so on) who have had their lives cut short over the years.
The wounds are often engraved on the hearts of families, friends and relatives. We stand in silence before these events, in solidarity and seek pragmatic ways of working to promote humanity, even if we will mostly find that we know little of ourselves – which makes it even harder for us to comprehend why a teenager would walk into a classroom armed with a knife.
Rest in peace Ann Maguire, and intercede for this troubled world.
Aloysius Beebwa, London W5
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