The following are the entire interviews (the sections that were broadcast) with David Boddy and Graham Skelcey. What they had to say begs a few questions....
David Boddy on the nature of the abuse at St James?
?There is a balance in any good education of love and reason and of love and discipline and I think perhaps there were occasions when teachers were rather over zealous in trying to apply that balance?
David Boddy on what the Governors (including those that were there from 1975) knew of the abuse?
?This was the first time that the governors had really heard of all of this?.
David Boddy on how to respond to the abuse?
?There was the need to bring about some reconciliation with our former pupils and so we were really inspired I think by the book by Archbishop Desmond Tutu book ?No Future without Forgiveness? who speaks of ?establish the truth first as a lead up to reconciliation?
David Boddy on what will happen to current teachers found by Townend to have mistreated or criminally assaulted pupils?
?They will be disciplined they will receive disciplinary warnings that in the future their employment would be terminated but there is no plan to remove them from the schools?.
David Boddy on how the abuse may have been a misunderstanding in how to develop the human soul!!!?
"There is a wonderful analogy often used in terms of the development of the human soul. And it is the analogy of a potter with two hands, the inner hand of the wheel as it were expands the pot or expands the individuals and the outer hand is the hand which gives it shape and if you apply that analogy to the human being what may have occurred is a misunderstanding that too much pressure was necessary on the outer hand".
Graham Skelcey (Executive Committee of the SES) on the relationship between SES and St James?
?The schools are controlled by the Governors, there is obviously communication between the two but that?s really borne of a strong and genuine and sincere interest in the welfare of the schools. I know it often get portrayed as something sinister but I guess one has to remember that the schools were founded by parents of the School of Economic Science?.
Anyone care to comment on the above?
Watch Channel 4 special report at http://www.channel4.com/news/special-re ... sp?id=1946