Sydney Punchbowl High School principal sacked

ex Principal Chis Griffith, Muslim convert

Excerpts from the Daily Telegraph

THE principal of a south west Sydney boys school has been sacked for excluding female staff from official events.

Chris Griffiths and his deputy Joumana Denanoiu have been stood down from their roles at the mostly Muslim Punchbowl Boys High, The Australian reported.

Among issues leading to the drastic move by the NSW Education Department are claims Mr Griffiths practised an unofficial policy of excluding female teachers from Year 12 graduation ceremonies and presentation days.

“As a result of a recent appraisal of Punchbowl Boys High School, there has been a change in the leadership of the school,” an Education Department spokesman said.

“A new principal and deputy principal will commence work at the school tomorrow.”

Mr Griffiths was appointed to run the school in 2015 after Jihad Dib, who was credited with restoring its reputation, left to become the NSW Labor MP for Lakemba.

Community sources claim Mr Griffiths also cancelled large community dinners and barred former students from visiting the school.

 New Principal Robert Patruno

Yesterday, Mr Patruno spoke for the first time exclusively to The Daily Telegraph about his plans to stamp out that kind of peer pressure and to introduce the Stronger Communities Working Together deradicalisation program at the school.

He said all schools that had already implemented the program had benefited. Mr Patruno is even repairing the school’s disused old flagpole and plans to fly the Australian flag proudly every day.

Following shocking reports that students at his school were refusing to shake the hands of female teachers under Mr Griffiths, Mr Patruno confirmed it had taken place at Punchbowl Boys High, but said that from now on he would insist on boys showing female teachers respect.

“Yes, there is reluctance (by some to shake hands) but at the end of the day, you’ve got to respect different kids, if they have that belief,” he said.

“It all comes down to education. If there is those values in the school, I’m going to address them. I’m not going to turn my back on them.

“It’s about respect. The kid, while he doesn’t maybe shake hands because of his belief, will place his hand on his chest. He is still showing respect to that female teacher by placing his hand on his heart.”

Of children being coerced to attend Friday Islamic prayer meetings, Mr Patruno said he would make sure all the boys who attended were doing so with the permission of their parents.

“If (peer pressure) is happening and I identify it, I’m going to address it,” he said.

“If a parent directly comes to me and says there is an issue at this school and is able to identify those kids ... I’ll use the networks in the school to address that.”

Mr Patruno said he also wanted to tackle the “isolation” in the school community, but did not think there was evidence of Islamic State sympathisers at the school.

“It’s about exposing our kids to the wider community,” Mr Patruno said.

Of the rumours his predecessor called police “pigs” and instructed students to film police whenever they spoke to them, Mr Patruno said: “All I know is that I need to rebuild the relationship with Bankstown police. The police haven’t been welcomed into the school.”

The principal also addressed a threat made against him last Monday night after he replaced Mr Griffiths.

While walking to his car, two men saw him and a 19-year-old wound down the window and shouted: “We’re going to get you; we’re going to f ... you up, dog!”

“I didn’t enjoy the person coming past and expressing what they said to me because, at the end of the day, I’m a ­father,” he said. “They’ve just got to know I’m an educator at the end of the day. I want the best for the kids.”

Education Minister Rob Stokes, who returned from Britain on the weekend, yesterday backed Mr Patruno’s plan to bring the school back in line with the basic principles of Australian values.

 Rob Stokes

Well Education Minister Mr Rob Stokes, you are a disgrace.  You allowed this to happen on your watch and the only honourable thing you can do now, is resign.

Edit:  Apology to Mr Rob Stokes who only became NSW Education Minister in February 2017.  Mr Adrian Piccoli was the Education Minister  in charge who sat on his hands while this outrageous state of affairs was taking place.  

Adrian Piccoli