Trinity Grammar headmaster must not give in to school bullies
TRINITY head Michael Davies has been subjected to vicious personal attacks. But if he leaves, the bullies have won, writes fellow teacher Christopher Bantick.
Education
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THE recent media coverage of the disturbances at Trinity Grammar School would seem to suggest the headmaster, Dr Michael Davies, is marooned without support. Nothing could be further from the truth.
There are two issues. The first is the dismissal of the head of the senior school, Mr Rohan Brown, and the second is the headmastering of Dr Davies.
The dismissal of Mr Brown was a school council decision; Dr Davies was not involved at any point.
The council has made that clear. The dismissal is, however, subject to an independent review process.
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I began my teaching career at Trinity Grammar in 1977. Dr Davies is my fifth headmaster. I write as the most senior member of the common room through longevity of service and age. I write on my own behalf and initiative. I expect to be attacked and vilified for doing so.
The vilification Dr Davies has been subject to, the attacks on his character, the intimidation of him and his family, the trespassing on his property and vandalism to his home is without precedent.
He has not blinked. Lesser men would have quit the school. Instead he is weathering, heroically, a vicious campaign to remove him.
Earlier this month, I attended a public meeting called by the then chair of school council, Roderick Lyle, where an explanation was given for the removal of Mr Brown.
At that meeting, the headmaster withstood 1½ hours of personal attacks, intimidation, threatening behaviour and criticism.
He spoke patiently, with grace, and assured the parents he would listen and respond to their concerns. He has done so.
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The dismissal of Mr Brown has appeared to legitimise an intensely acrimonious, well organised and strategic vendetta against the headmaster and his family. One of the main criticisms has been that Trinity Grammar is an “ATAR factory”. It’s a catchy phrase but one that is putatively inaccurate.
I have never met a parent or taught a student who is unhappy with a high ATAR. It is true that under Dr Davies, Trinity’s ATARs have increased substantially. That was necessary because for the three years before Dr Davies arrived, the school’s ATARs were declining. He is now criticised for improving results and making the school successful. How he has done that is by instituting programs in the lower secondary years that enable students to strengthen their academic understanding through tutoring and follow-up.
Some of the angst levelled against Dr Davies is, at best, misguided. He has not “destroyed the culture of the school” as some wider school community groups allege. The opposite is the case.
Trinity is a school where people are accountable. The staff are a professional body who, under the leadership of the headmaster, have increased the school’s academic standing and status.
It is difficult to see how an argument can be sustained that Trinity has lost its culture and its values. Can criticism be reasonably levelled at a headmaster who has appointed staff to ensure that community service — local, national and international — is extensive and supported by the students? That would seem to be a manifestation of a school that has a culture of helping others.
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THE current, increasingly vociferous campaign, including campaign trucks circling Kew calling for the headmaster’s removal, does not speak for all. Many parents do not want Dr Davies to leave. If they express that view on social media, they are shouted down.
Can the people who organised the campaign truck on Wednesday this week explain what is to be gained when small boys say, “this has gone too far”, and a headmaster’s wife outside the school is in tears? A difference of opinion is one thing, the attempted career ruination of a person is another.
The point is surely, what has the headmaster done to “destroy” the school? If it is about Mr Brown’s dismissal, Dr Davies was not involved. He has done two things that was required of him by the school council: improve academic standards and grow the school. He has met his targets.
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The protests led by the students out of school uniform, or chanting for Mr Brown, let alone calling for the headmaster to go, do not speak for all. The non-wearing of uniforms was not supported by all boys or staff.
Contrary opinion is healthy and boys came to my office and said that the pressure to not wear uniform was intense.
Simply put, the headmaster has been and is being bullied by powerful groups within the school community.
We should not accept bullying or harassment of any kind. We should abhor it and attempt to inculcate that in the students.
What the students are seeing is that bullying, intimidation, anonymous letters and graffiti are acceptable as a means to put pressure on someone.
Dr Davies is a family man. His family has had to witness their father and husband face daily attacks. His home has been seen as fair game. I do not want to see Dr Davies hounded and bullied out of office by unelected groups of people who did not employ the headmaster and do not have the authority to remove him. He is a man of character, intelligence and has the desire for all boys and staff in the school to be their best.
He must not go and bend to loud voices and insidious undermining. Were that to occur, every headmaster and headmistress would realise that they could be removed by those who do not speak for all.
Moreover, every boy would see that bullying and character assassination is acceptable. It isn’t. The headmaster must stay and he must be supported.
— Christopher Bantick is a senior English teacher at Trinity Grammar School, Kew
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