A simple question for David Boddy

Discussion of the children's schools in the UK.
1980sstJ
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A simple question for David Boddy

Postby 1980sstJ » Fri Mar 17, 2006 4:47 pm

This is a question for headmaster David Boddy on behalf of former pupils who were abused at St James Independent School For Boys and concerned parents of current pupils.

David Boddy, by your own admission you have teachers on your staff who were involved in the horrific abuses of children at St James in past decades.

You say you will not be removing them from the school.

Right thinking people everywhere would agree that *any* record of abuse on a teacher's record would immediately make that teacher entirely unsuitable for future work with children.

So, David Boddy, a simple question: What level of abuse do you think is acceptable for a teacher to have on his record?

Please answer here.

NYC
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Postby NYC » Mon Mar 20, 2006 5:17 pm

Right thinking people everywhere would agree that *any* record of abuse on a teacher's record would immediately make that teacher entirely unsuitable for future work with children.


I have to disagree with you -- perhaps I am not a "right-thinking" person.

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Ben W
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Another gap

Postby Ben W » Tue Mar 21, 2006 7:56 am

There is another gap here which we should close if we can.

There was a celebrated case recently in Victoria where a 36 yo female Phys Ed teacher had sex with one of her pupils. I will get some of the details wrong - you can google them, but I had to pay to access the article so wrote this from memory instead.

According to the story - the boy, a 15 year old, made all the running. He was on the basket ball court and dared the teacher to kiss him if he could sink a seemingly impossible shot. The relationship developed, and sex ensued. It was entirely consensual.

The court was sympathetic and a very light (non-custodial?) sentence was given. Key to this was the testimony of the boy who pointed out to the satisfaction of the court that he had experienced no hardship or coercion

There was outrage in the press. ("What if the sexes had been reversed?") There was an appeal and a much tougher sentence imposed.

The story generated a lot of interest and discussion here.

In the final analysis the appropriate treatment of the teacher turns out to have relatively little to do with the wishes of the victim (a barely appropriate word in this case). The treatment is actually about what parents and children have a right to expect the school experience to comprise.

Looked at coldly it is totally inappropriate for a teacher to have sexual relationships with a pupil. In all circumstances. No ifs or buts. The response to such occurences needs to be crystal clear.

The same applies to criminal assualt by teachers towards pupils - and also to criminal negligence by governors.
Child member of SES from around 1967 to around 1977; Strongly involved in Sunday Schools ; Five brothers and sisters went to ST V and St J in the worst years

1980sstJ
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Postby 1980sstJ » Tue Mar 21, 2006 5:21 pm

Well David Boddy can clear up his feelings on this by posting here. I am sure that parents of current pupils would be keen to hear his feelings on this.

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Keir
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Postby Keir » Tue Mar 21, 2006 5:56 pm

Can he type with his head in the sand?

:shock:

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Keir
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Postby Keir » Tue Mar 21, 2006 6:00 pm

Or perhaps he's busy at his wheel...making wobbly pots and lots of 'ashtrays' no doubt.

:black:

1980sstJ
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Postby 1980sstJ » Wed Mar 22, 2006 7:21 pm

Once again, David Boddy, a simple question: What level of abuse do you think is acceptable for a teacher to have on his record?

Please answer here.

1980sstJ
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Postby 1980sstJ » Thu Mar 30, 2006 3:54 pm

Any answer yet?

1980sstJ
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Postby 1980sstJ » Thu Mar 30, 2006 3:55 pm

Any answer yet?

Perhaps we could set some theoretical parameters?

Would you employ a teacher who had rape on his or her record?* Would you shrug that off too?

Or is it just beating ups that you shrug off?

* Of course there is no suggestion that this applies to any St James teachers past or present. It is just a theoretical example to help us understand what level of abuse Mr Boddy finds acceptable.

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Keir
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Postby Keir » Thu Mar 30, 2006 9:52 pm

"If I just hide behind the sofa then perhaps they will all go away and my life will return to normal"

emu dream

1980sstJ
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Postby 1980sstJ » Fri Mar 31, 2006 10:04 am

Funny that St James preaches truth and courage. I hope that the Headmaster would be courageous enough to answer this question truthfully.

Incidentally, a broadcast journalist friend of mine is pitching a piece to his bosses next week about doing an investigation into the 3 remaining teachers from the inquiry days.

Keep your fingers crossed!

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Merry
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Postby Merry » Fri Mar 31, 2006 7:46 pm

1980sstj

That's quite a responsibility you have taken on - to represent former pupils. You represent yourself and yourself only unless specifically asked by someone else as much as I speak for myself only.

No one is obliged to go on trial on this website - it does not have that authority to demand anyone to answer an anonymous questioner, or named for that matter. Rather than goad why do you not write to him and once you receive the response you can share it?

Sarcasm and cynicism do you no favours.

Yours

Patrick Wyatt

Alban
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Postby Alban » Fri Mar 31, 2006 9:57 pm

Merry / Patrick

Please don't forget that it is through this (anonymous) site that we have achieved the recognition that we have so far. I think it is a perfectly valid stance to publicly ask questions of David Boddy here - he has after all posted on here himself (or so we are led to believe) and we know that this board is read by a number of people who are able to report to him.

No-one is obliged to do anything, but by reading this board anyone can gain an understanding of the prevalent views of the large number of ex-pupils here. The point that is being made, very succinctly, is that there has been NO ACTION from the governors as yet, other than rather pathetic attempts to brush the whole thing under the carpet.

1980sstj speaks for many of us by asking these questions. If he/she wasn't asking them then it would be someone else. While this board has no leaders, it represents a body of pupils that have together raised the general awareness of a number of major issues. It is naive of the governors and / or anyone else to believe that we are going to each spend what little time we have writing letters to each of the govs and headmasters, essentially repeating what is said on here.

The governors have chosen to communicate via their own website, and in doing so they have recognised that they are dealing with a body of ex-students, just as we address a body of governors, head teachers and senior tutors. It is a shame that they cannot bring themselves to communicate with us on here - I don't know what they are scared of. Dialogue is after all the key to reconciliation.

So, rather than criticise the delivery, why don't you comment on the content.

Alban

anti_ses
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Postby anti_ses » Sat Apr 01, 2006 12:03 am

Alban wrote:It is a shame that they cannot bring themselves to communicate with us on here - I don't know what they are scared of. Dialogue is after all the key to reconciliation.

Someone on another thread wrote:Remember who you represent, you are all the voice of the SES.

On the one hand, there is talk of the need for dialogue. On the other, any dialogue is futile given any statement by DB will be the 'voice of the SES' and nothing more.

1980sstJ
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Postby 1980sstJ » Sat Apr 01, 2006 9:20 am

Merry wrote:1980sstj

That's quite a responsibility you have taken on - to represent former pupils. You represent yourself and yourself only unless specifically asked by someone else as much as I speak for myself only.

No one is obliged to go on trial on this website - it does not have that authority to demand anyone to answer an anonymous questioner, or named for that matter. Rather than goad why do you not write to him and once you receive the response you can share it?

Sarcasm and cynicism do you no favours.

Yours

Patrick Wyatt


What a bizarre post! I have never in any way sought to represent former pupils nor claimed I do nor anything of the sort.

I agree with the response given to your post by someone else above.

We are talking about little children who were beaten up by adults. I think it is important to remember that.


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