HOW A STUDENT OUTWITTED HIS PRINCIPAL

This story took place at the John Loughborough High School in North London, United Kingdom, where I was once a staff member. I was a teacher of French and Spanish there and had the honour of also being appointed a Form Tutor and Head of Year Nine (coordinating all the Form Three Classes). It was a Seventh Day Adventist Mission school. But the story happened before I was employed at the school.

When I got the job, the principal at the time was Dr. Keith Davidson. Later, he became Education Director of the South England Conference of the Church, taking over from Dr. Clinton Valley who equally replaced him as Head of the school. The incident happened at the time the pioneer and previous principal, Pastor Orville Woolford was heading the school. Pastor Woolford  recounted the incident to us at John Loughborough once when he came back to address the school at general assembly.

According to the principal, he caught a certain notorious student redhanded and in fury, frog marched the boy into his office. As soon as he entered the office, he slammed the door in anger and ordered the boy to turn round for a lashing on the buttocks. His whip was raised and ready. The student stooped quite alright for the punishment but then spoke:

“Before you beat me, can I say something, sir?”

Suprised, the principal stopped but barked: “Yes! What do you want to say?”

Then the boy said: “Please, sir, Before you beat me,can we pray first?”

“What?”, came the incredulous response.

“Let us pray first, sir”

Psychologically disarmed, the principal responded: “Who will say the prayer?”

And the boy said: “I will, sir”.

“Okay. Go on. Then you pray!”.

The student prayed and asked God to help him to be a good boy. As soon as he finished, the principal threw the cane on his table, opened the door and ordered him: “Now, leave my office!”.