Schools
There are no real surprises OR Houseman has seen it all before Ours is probably not the first Headmaster to tell his Common Room of his dream to have a school without punishments. In fact, he is not even the first Headmaster I have heard express this sentiment. Perhaps all Headmasters say it at some point. It must certainly be true that every Headmaster devises a new disciplinary structure, possibly even more than one, during his own tenure at a school. The purpose of the new structure is always to produce something which is ‘transparent’ and ‘fair’. Perhaps not all Headmasters state a desire that the pupils must ‘buy in’ to any system which they propose, and perhaps only a few Headmasters actually ask pupils to contribute ideas towards a new disciplinary structure, but even that is not a completely novel idea. Every Common Room is divided by a Headmaster’s new disciplinary structure. Some are delighted to be working in such an enlightened new age and believe wholeheartedly in a school with no punishments: others are outraged by the new Headmaster’s liberal nonsense. This element of the Common Room will probably now refer to the Headmaster’s predecessor in respectful, even nostalgic terms – ‘Say what you like about Dr Gussy, he was totally straight on discipline, and the boys knew where they stood.’ They never said this about Dr Gussy before he retired. It is also certain that a statement of a new approach to disciplinary structures will be followed by a conspicuous, if not necessarily disastrous, disciplinary episode in the school. Among the various elements of a new school year is a new group of School Prefects. A new group of School Prefects begins a new school year with Intentions, or at least statements of 20
Spring 2017
intentions, to Make a Real Difference. A new group of School Prefects begins a new school year telling the pupils that they will not be like last year’s prefects, but they will be the School Prefects who really care, really do put the interests of other pupils first, and will do everything to ensure they have the best year possible. Some of the School Prefects even believe their own statements. The School Prefects make similar statements to the Headmaster. They explain to the Headmaster that, unlike last year’s School Prefects, they will not disappoint him by abusing their position, let alone neglecting their duties, but they will be exemplary prefects and pupils, explaining the messages of the Headmaster and the Senior Leadership Team to the pupils, and ensuring that all pupils abide by them. This works very well for a while, but then the new School Prefects realise that life as a School Prefect is not quite the idyll they had imagined. It is no longer an exciting novelty to be seen to be a School Prefect, and so the duties, which at first indicated so much prestige, are now merely onerous chores which the other members of the Sixth Form do not have to perform. Meanwhile the privileges to which they had (secretly) so looked forward now seem barely perceptible. They discuss these grievances and come up with an idea, An Initiative. They put it to the Headmaster and the Senior Leadership Team. The initiative is probably impractical and almost certainly involves alcohol for them, so the Headmaster and Senior Leadership Team reject the proposal. However, this will lead to Another Initiative from the School Prefects shortly
