Ubuntu Speaks

I, too, have been posting for some time on the whyaretheydead site with the aim of dissolving some of the anger and forging an understanding of common humanity. To the extent that former St Vedast and St James pupils respond in civilised terms is one measure of success.

It's tempting - but fatal - to adopt any kind of position, or to lay out one's stall (as some School members have done) because it will soon get knocked down and the contributor then retires bruised and bewildered. Rather more helpful is a willingness to abandon preconceived ideas about former pupils and to meet their concerns with a loving sympathy and occasional firmness.

These children - now adults - were undoubtedly injured by their school experiences and it ill behoves School members to hide their heads in the sand. Like you, I feel contrition even though, like you, I can't remember any instance when I mistreated a child.

I contributed to the Townend inquiry and the following quote is from my subsequent letter to the governors.

'At the beginning I said that my aim in contributing to the bulletin board was to seek recognition of our common humanity and thus a possibility of reconciliation. But there’s a further reason. Quite recently, a friend told me of going into no.90 (this was years ago) and hearing an abusive tirade directed against a group of boys by a lady teacher. I asked him if he’d done anything about it and he said no. On searching my conscience, I realised that I wouldn’t have done anything either. That’s what comes of obeying position rather than principle.'

And that is why reconciliation is necessary for every School member. Whether or not we personally took part in any of this is immaterial - if we're one body in the School then, as a body and also personally, we have a duty to atone for what has been done. Denial and justification is no longer on the menu.

What purpose do denial and justification serve? They are the chief blocks towards cleansing. Yes, there will be sacrifices along the way but the story of the Good Samaritan should be enough to convince us of the rightness of this work.

Along the way there will be some soul-searching - but better by far to put one's hand to the task than turn away.

Until this is done there's really no hope of discarding the baggage of the past. - Ubuntu