Punchbowl Boys High School staff ease tensions in the aftermath of principal sacking

TEACHERS at a Western Sydney boys school at the centre of Islamic radicalism fears tried to defuse tensions with students yesterday, with staff deployed at the gates to greet every student as they arrived.

Teachers greet students in front of Punchbowl Boys High school yesterday. Picture: Adam Taylor

TEACHERS at a Western Sydney boys school at the centre of Islamic radicalism fears tried to defuse tensions with students yesterday, with staff deployed at the gates to greet every student as they arrived.

Female and male teachers could be seen shaking hands with Punchbowl Boys High students.

The move came as Premier Gladys Berejiklian was forced to defend her Education Minister’s absence from the country this week.

Tensions have run high at the school since the Education Department last week dumped former principal Chris Griffiths, an Islamic convert, over his refusal to participate in a deradicalisation program at the school.

A parent told The Saturday Telegraph their son had been “pressured” by other students into daily prayer meetings and cutting his hair.

The Punchbowl public school has been in the spotlight this week following the sacking of its principal. Picture: Adam Taylor

The school, largely made up of Muslim students, is one 19 NSW schools labelled as “at risk” of radicalising Islamic children by the Education Department.

When asked if the “hands shaking” was part of the deradicalisation program a Department spokesman said: “The executive staff meeting and greeting students and community members at the school gates is part of the school’s regular morning routine.”

The gesture follows a furore after The Hurstville Boys Campus of Georges River College allowed its student to refuse to shake hands with female staff.

New Punchbowl Boys principal Robert Patruno, former head of the Reiby Juvenile Justice Centre, has already faced threats from the school community.

Yesterday some parents at the school told The Saturday Telegraph they still wanted “their old principal back”.

“The students are not happy about this. They are not criminals ... it’s a school, not a juvenile justice centre,” one mother said.

“We feel like the department is singling out our boys.”

Teachers greeting the students on their way into the school. Picture: Adam Taylor

Another mother, who also asked not to be named, said her son “no longer wanted to attend the school”.

“They loved Mr Griffiths and they’re hurt they didn’t get to say goodbye ... the new principal we don’t know about. There’s a lot of anger.”

It has been alleged women were not allowed to present award certificates at the school under Mr Griffiths’ control. One former student claimed on Facebook he thought it was “safer” if women didn’t teach at the school.

Ms Berejiklian said the government is working with the Department of Education and police to resolve the situation.

“The safety and security of our teachers and students is our highest priority ... and any threatening or violent behaviour in schools in completely unacceptable,” she said.

“The NSW government will continue to work with the Department of Education and NSW Police in any investigations they conduct into any NSW schools.”

The Premier said the Assistant Education Minister was filling in for minister Rob Stokes, who is on leave to study at Oxford in the UK.

Ms Berejiklian said all schools were required to report any concerns about extremist behaviour. However, prominent Sunni community member Jamal Daoud said he thought not enough was being done to tackle extremism in schools.

“The authorities are still in denial of the seriousness of the situation,” he said.