Parent’s opinion: $800-a-week Trinity Grammar in chaos over student’s haircut

TO understand the passion and protests shown at Trinity Grammar over a student’s haircut, you have to understand the school. A parent described what sets Trinity Grammar apart — and justifies the top-dollar price tag.

WHO cares about a sacked headmaster anyway? And what’s all this fuss about a haircut? No doubt many of you are scratching your heads, trying to work out what on earth is going on at Trinity Grammar since the sudden firing of former deputy headmaster Rohan Brown by the school council.

In unprecedented scenes, students are striking and rallying, and even standing up in public saying they’ve “lost all respect” for the current headmaster, Michael Davies and the council.

Parents are protesting and threatening to pull their sons out. At a recent meeting to discuss Brown’s sacking, many were behaving like school boys themselves: cheering and jeering, booing and interjecting.

TRINITY GRAMMAR’S PAST CAPTAINS HAVE ‘NO CONFIDENCE’ IN SCHOOL

Trinity Grammar deputy Rohan Brown cutting a students hair.

Support for Brown was overwhelming — out of 1000 or so parents present, only a handful appeared to support the council’s decision.

To understand the passion, you have to understand the school. Trinity Grammar is the kind of place where kids wear their school tracksuits on the weekends. They like people knowing where they go to school.

While some take it for granted, most feel lucky to be there, and see the sacrifices their parents make.

It’s one of Victoria’s most expensive schools — last year my school fees were more than $31,000 — but it’s not one of the top-drawer elites like Melbourne Grammar or Scotch.

The school grounds — a somewhat squashed patch of Kew — aren’t remarkable compared to some of the surrounding private schools like Xavier. And the academic results, while good, aren’t among the top in the state.

But what sets Trinity Grammar apart, and justifies the top-dollar price tag, is the emphasis on character and not just academic results.

People at the school talk about the “Trinity Man”. They say the school has always been about “getting the best out of the boy” not just “getting the best boys”.

Many parents and others connected to the school feel this has changed in recent years under Davies. They think there’s been too much emphasis on ATARS, building funds and marketing, and not enough about turning the boys into good men — good husbands, good fathers, good brothers and good sons.

TRINITY GRAMMAR DEPUTY FORCED TO RESIGN OVER A HAIRCUT

Trinity Grammar.

A quietly-spoken former deputy head St Kevin’s College, Davies hasn’t been out and about enough, people say. He hasn’t been pressing the flesh at student and parent events. It’s a “sign” his favourite sport is cycling, one told me.

A recent professional development seminar for teachers concentrated on academic results and was the “worst PD ever”, a teacher told me.

One school mother sat next to Davies at a funeral for a student’s father and he didn’t make any attempt to talk to her. These little things add up. When parents pay $30K plus, they expect the headmaster to make a bit of chit chat.

Many parents also don’t like the fact that more than 150 longstanding teachers have been moved on since Davies took over.

In comparison, Mr Brown knew every single boy: their strength and their weaknesses. There is no doubt his role as school disciplinarian was at times controversial. This includes his move to cut a boy’s hair in front of his peers — a move that many parents say was justified because the school’s grooming policy was well-known.

Over the years Brown has been a divisive figure: some talk of him overlooking students who aren’t sporty or have high-profile parents. However, such whispers have been drowned out in the current surge of support for him.

Brown wasn’t always liked, but he was most definitely respected.

At the parents’ meeting the other night, current students, old scholars and parents talked of the way Brown would visit struggling kids at home and encourage them to come to school. He’d single out boys to be potential leaders because they had good personal skills and not just top marks.

PUSH TO SACK HEADMASTER, REINSTATE DEPUTY

At least 200 parents and old boys attended the school meeting.

They liked the fact that he was a hands-on football coach and was still a maths teacher despite his duties as deputy.

And they liked the way he was tough and old-school, compared to “Renaissance Man” Davies. They knew Brown cared deeply if a boy wasn’t wearing his blazer or had longer hair than is allowed under school rules. It all goes back to character. That’s why most defend his decision to cut the boy’s hair.

Surely some of these comparisons between Davies and Brown are a little unfair.

Brown has been at the school for more than 30 years — it’s a legacy that’s hard to beat in just a few years.

No doubt parents, old boys and past leaders of the school will get their way, and Brown will be back. No school council or headmaster can withstand such an unprecedented barrage of opposition against them.

Until this happens, the school will be in chaos and parents won’t be getting the benefit of the $800 a week they pay to send their boys to Trinity Grammar School.

And those on the outside are sitting back and laughing at what they see as little more than a privileged pack of wankers.