Please show tolerance towards the 61 private schools who do not comply with your policy guidelines for safe and caring schools. I think the key here is that the title of your policy, "Safe and Caring Schools", is a little problematic. There is more than one way to provide a safe and caring environment in a school building. It is possible that these 61 private schools, actually do have the best interest of their students in mind, even as they appear to defy your policy. Perhaps the problem lies in your policy and not the attitude of the school administrators.
This reminds me of a man named Damien of Malokai. He is a canonized Catholic Saint, but the story of his life is fascinating for anyone who enjoys history.
He spent the greater part of his life serving the destitute in a leper colony on Molokai, Hawaii. He willingly sacrificed his freedom in many ways in order to serve the outcasts of society. He built a system to supply clean water, changed bandages and wound dressings, taught children and preached forgiveness and hope. He identified himself as a leper even before he contracted the disease. He was truly connected with the people he had chosen to serve.
Life on Molokai was hard - in part because the government turned a blind eye to this place of suffering. He regularly wrote letters to the Hawaiian governing officials to protest their lack of concern regarding the lepers. I am sure that in the eyes of the Hawaiian government his protesting mail was very annoying and pointless. In hindsight it is clear that he was a hero and that his challenge to the government was because he cared about the lepers.
Although the government may have had good intentions, they did not understand the situation in the same way that he did. Eventually, they did listen to Saint Damien, and we all know that policies regarding lepers have drastically improved since the late 1800.
Perhaps these 61 schools know what is best for their own students. Perhaps they can provide a type of safety, a type of care, that is real and good. Hundreds, if not thousands, of parents already trust that these school communities are good places for their children to grow and learn.
Maybe you can trust these schools a bit more, too.
Sincerely,
Catherine van Kampen
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