The front page of today's DomPost features Martin Keast, Principal of Wainuiomata and Silverstream Christian schools. I have met Martin on a couple of occasions. He attended an education meeting I organised prior to the last election, and gave Rodney Hide a pretty good run for his money over the matter of vouchers as I recall. I hope I don't do him a disservice but I'd describe him as a Christian Libertarian. Certainly I found him a quietly spoken and thoughtful man.
I can remember all of my headmasters, from Primary to Secondary. Respected figures each. Tyrants, no. One I still know today and put in the same vein as Martin, quiet and thoughtful. I was vaguely aware of corporal punishment but it didn't loom large because student's self-discipline was still of a degree that incidents were unusual.
By sixth form I did know boys who were caned. If I'd worn trousers then I would have been with them. Instead they got the cane and I got put on report and suspended. But it was part and parcel of pushing the boundaries and accepting the consequences. Corporal punishment may seem like a big deal to people who live in fear of physical punishment but to many kids it was a price they were willing to pay when taking a risk.
So here we have a Christian School grudgingly telling the government that they will comply with its no corporal punishment edict but look at the absolute thumper he gets in at the same time;
Well said, Martin. Well said.
12 comments:
If we had the discipline regime that Mr. Keast advocates we would have far less teenage crime and vandalism.
As you rightly say we (I am 61) knew the consequences when we overstepped the mark. If there are no consequnces for rule breaking at schools then it extends into the community as is the case now.
'Tolerance' is a slippery concept. You could say that state schools tolerate student behaviours which Mr. Keast's school does not.
You could say that by extending the same kind of tolerance to religious extremists which our state schools extend to students, US citizens have emboldened those extremists to the point where they are now bullies - using the force of the state to impose their views upon other citizens.
The importance of tolerance of religious beliefs IS over-stated if it allows those religious believers license to behave intolerantly towards others.
Dave Christian
Dave.
Are you saying Mr. Keast is fostering the growth of religious extremeists.
I don't think so - he is instilling discipline good behaviour and respect into his pupils.
Remember - it is what most young people used to have!!!!
Ysterday I heard the Police Commissioner saying he walked the streets of Napier (presumably the CBD area). He was astounded at the number of pupils `hanging around' (roughly his words) and the lack of respect they had for the police.
That is what the present regime is breeding.
Dave, Yes the concept of tolerance carries conditions. I just didn't want to get into that area in this post. For tolerance to be fully effective it needs to be universal, which it clearly is not. But that shouldn't stop us from looking to it as a first principle.
In this case the Christian School isn't harming society in any way I can see. We haven't heard complaints from any of their pupils, who, in this day and age could quickly and easily air grievances to the media. I have seen a published letter from one of the pupils praising the school.
I wasn't suggesting that we should interfere with the school's discipline - far from it. Nor it's teachings generally.
What I am suggesting is that we should not allow schools to teach their pupils that they can or should impose their (indoctrinated) view of the world upon other people. I don't know if this school does that, but some religious schools do and we most certainly should not tolerate that.
Dave
Dave
I am in Hawkes Bay and know nothing of the school or for that mtter any of the similar ones throughout the country. However, nothing I hve seen suggests any indoctination whatsoever in any of these schools.
What I do see is a concerted effort by those driving the `Politically Correct' agenda which we have increasingly endured over the last 20 odd years doing everything they can to attack anyone with Christian beliefs.
If there is any indoctination it is coming from exactly the opposite quarter to what you are inferring.
Lindsay,
You may find Martin Keast a “quietly spoken and thoughtful man”. However, you know as well as I do, that corporal punishment in schools is now illegal. Mr Keast is showing to be unprofessional to advocate such practices.
School corporal punishment is not as benign as some may wish to think. As a result of the terror and humiliation of having to witness corporal punishment at school (I am now 59 years old) I have suffered psychological flashbacks and suicidal anxiety as a result. I am now medically retired.
As far as I am concerned it is appropriate that those Christian schools should be threatened with closure if they refuse to smarten up their act!
okay you want a students opinion?
I am a current seventh form student of Martin Keast. He has just taken the principal position at another christian school which was once lead by a Charismatic and devout Christian who I wont name. This principal had earned everyones respect as well as inforced rules keeping in line with the Bible. The students accepted this. But under the reign or Mr Keast and his over-bearing demeanor I believe you will find that truancy will increase ten-fold from the previous in which it was rare for a student to 'wag'. I do not believe he has the tolerance to be a principal. Nor do the rest of the student body.
Thats really interesting. I am a parent of a child at that new school where Martin Keast is principal and it's playing out just as you suggested. Some concerned parents recently called a meeting and some 30% of the school turned out all concerned about the legalistic and narrow minded approach being taken by Martin Keast. Many kids look like thay are going to leave. I wonder what happened in wellington.
I am a parent of the school where Mr Keast is currently the principal. The kids absolutely loathe him!! You now have a situation where students en masse are applying for other schools in the area and there have been many, many students and parents extremely concerned in which direction Hamilton Christian School is now taking, (my husband and myself included). Mr Keast is arrogant, overbearing and believes that quote "it doesn't really matter how well your child does at school as long as their faith in God is stronger at the end!) Excuse me, but why can't we have both, strong education and strong faith!! The present board of trustees did not do their homework, admit to not really knowing all that had previously happened at the school under Mr Keast in Wellington and as such the whole school is in real trouble, but mainly the secondary. Mr Keast is extremely authoritarian and legalistic, and whilst I do not necessarily disagree with his views on corporal punishment, in his hands, it would be horrific. He has already banned the use of such words as golly, awesome, gosh etc as, apparently awesome is only a work that should be used to describe God only! Wake up and smell the roses Mr Keast.
I went to both of these schools. There was bullying to a far greater extent than I ever witnessed at the nearby public school I later attended, Hutt Valley High. Not much physical bullying, sure. But nastiness and pettiness in a way I have not seen since.
There was teacher abuse, to the point where a particular teacher was often reduced to tears by a group of boys, and ended up leaving the school.
And there was definitely truancy, and for Martin Keast to claim otherwise is deceptive.
The corporal punishment was not administered on a fair and just basis, with some students being constantly hit for lesser offenses. It was bot till I left the school that I had the faintest idea that not all of society suffers physical abuse at the hands of their teachers and parents. I recall classmates showing up with welts and bruises from the jug cord at home, as we listened to Martin natter on about godly discipline.
I am glad to see the the Hutt Valley Christian School (as they now call themselves) is dying. May they not have the opportunity to convince another generation of children that "discipline" is an appropriate excuse for violence.
I am also a past student from one of the schools that Martin was principal. I am THRILLED that the hutt valley schools have merged and am hoping for the sake of the students there that it eventually shuts down completely. No child ought to be subjected to such education In my opinion the corporal punishment used there was administered unfairly and was hardly necessary to keep students' behaviour under control. Most of us lived in fear that we would get into trouble. Martin used to pick on my family as well as several other students he singled out. The bulling that went on in that school by Martin and also several other students was unbelievable. So much for a christian school! This school gave me the worst education and I am thankful that I left when I did.
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