The Legacy

As we come to the end of an era - or as some call it the light at the end of the tunnel - we are left to look back at the past and the future of WCC. A lot has happened and little has remained to remind us of what it used to be. Here's a quick and tongue-in-cheek review of the legacy which a current teacher has sent us:

The Building
The WCC building has been described by its principal as the flagship of educational institutes, one of the largest in modern history and a symbol of modern post-commonsensical architecture. The world is at awe of its insipid grey walls and buildings that have been thoughtfully designed to keep teachers at bay of one another. One teacher was quoted saying: "Teachers at WCC have ample space to confine themselves to their classrooms or pantries. It is weird to work in the school for months and not run into a colleague. We often challenge visitors who seem to be lost, but we are surprised when it turns out that they are colleagues from other departments. We are hot on security here."

The TV Screen
The school boasts a state-of-the-art TV screen that is reputed to be the single most wasteful expense ever made by a deficit-fighting school. As indicated by the Marketing Manager, "The TV screen is a great selling point for us. Our waiting list is getting longer as parents are fighting to enroll their kids just to be in the same post code as the screen."

The Science Labs
Health and Safety manager has told us that "the paramount task of our school is to keep our students safe. We do not even have gas running in the science labs. We do not take unnecessary risks. However, we still installed the gas taps as this is a requirement by law if we want to call them labs."

The Car Park
The place also boasts a large car park. It has no shade from the scorching sun nor enough spaces round the main entrance of the school. When asked about the staff cars parked outside the school, we were told that the staff were just lazy. They should walk from the back of the school, across the large football pitch, pass through the Primary school, climb up the stairs of the Central Hub and they will be in their desired location. They should hydrate themselves before doing so and after. The school bears no responsibility if the staff go missing in the process.

The school architects have ensured there are parking spaces available at the front of the school for disabled visitors where the principal's parking was suitably placed.

Care for Staff
In the long tenure of the principal, staff have been the centre of his attention. In these 7 years of devoted service and unwavering loyalty to his own self, Dr Zimmer managed to unite all staff members in the way they feel about him. That is an achievement few heads of school can claim. The specific methods used during his tenure left no one in doubt of where their place is and what they should expect. When quizzed about his reputation among staff, Dr Zimmer threatened to call the police adding: "I know a lot of influential people and I am often invited to their private parties. In fact, the ruler of the neighbouring country called me in person to beg me to work for him. I must accept." Some other untold reasons may have contributed to his exit.

When asked what it will mean when he is no longer at WCC, many told us, “Well, clearly it will mean the staff are no longer afraid and will focus more on work.” However, others just exclaimed, “Flipping heck! Can we come back?”

The Second in Command of the school, one of the most skilled at interpersonal relationships, has had a thriving time at WCC. She is leaving behind a long line of fans and a wonderful track of innovative policies. It would be remiss of us not to mention her soft touch in handling some of the most controversial staff cases. When asked about the BKE case, a teacher who was falsely accused of writing this very blog, she said: "It doesn't matter what proof we do not have. In this country, we do not feel compelled to give reasons for how we treat our staff. The policies and procedures are here to serve a common interest, ours." It is not clear if this 'common interest' actually means hers or Dr Zimmer's. 

BKE paid the price for someone else's doing. Without decency or ethical consideration for him or the rest of the staff, it had been decided that he had to go and the staff body would cease to complain or to protest. A move considered cowardly by everyone and that very move tolled the bells for any hope in the school management. They should apologise for such a heinous act. Dr Zimmer was overheard saying: "Look, we all make mistakes. And sometimes we have to pay the price for those mistakes. Fortunately the price for my mistakes this time is to be let to leave unscathed and with another job waiting for me, which unfortunately enough is no consolation to these teachers, so let’s just move on, da?"

A number of other staff members received the same sadistic treatment, mainly the popular and devoted teachers. Particular care has been applied to inflict as much pain and damage to these teachers. A recurring theme with Dr Zimmer. This has been the case since he started at WCC. As it turned out, not only was he quick to harm his opponents, but he would also work hard for the opportunity to blast them some more. It is logical to assume here that these same reasons got him fired from his previous schools.

HPL
One of the brightest ideas introduced by the outgoing Dr Zimmer is the innovative and ground breaking HPL. This 'philosophy' has revolutionised teaching at WCC - one of the first schools to adopt it. Not many schools can repackage age-old concepts into a unanimously loathed educational fad and thrive on it. Many admit that they do not really understand what the consequences would be for not calling things by their original names. This remains to be seen at everyone's risk. Only time will tell.

The School Culture
The changing culture of the school meant that the staff are afraid to voice their opinions and concerns. No one wants to risk being summoned to the office to be told how wrong they are. Balancing the duty to express a different opinion within the school with one's employment security is by far and away one of the most difficult issues we've had to grapple with since the principal started at WCC, and the easiest way some teachers have found to deal with it is to just ignore the problem and just hope it goes away.  

The School Reputation

 The reputation of WCC has been the topic of much debate lately. What happened to WCC which was the envy of other schools and the Shangri-La for parents and students? It turns out that the departing pair have ensured that there will be enough supply of issues to deal with for anyone to ponder on past glory. One of the long serving staff members explained: "We were a good community school, a respected place with happy staff. I am not sure what we are now. However, we still receive 150 of the local currency monthly for transportation. Surely that's something!"

Budget
A number of money saving strategies have been introduced to keep the school afloat. Housing allowances have been reduced based on the property and rental price fluctuation. No indication yet if the allowances will be reviewed again when the rent will go down after the end of the international event. 

 It has also been noted that the school's direction into employing more single teachers would enable it to manage the housing allowances and the increasing rental prices these days. A young staff member explains that "employing families with children will burden the school further. Who wants a teacher who has to look after their own kids? Their kids will be very disruptive to the school. It is not a place for kids. Families have a life. That's selfish."

The legacy, described by many as 'shite', will be everyone's cross to bear. Will there be a recovery, albeit slow? The answer came from the Marketing Department: "All we need is bums on seats. Who cares!"