New principal in, Lawrence shuts out controversy

If there's one thing that Lawrence School, Sanawar, is good at, it’s the way it shrouds itself in secrecy whenever a controversy crops ...

If there’s one thing that Lawrence School, Sanawar, is good at, it’s the way it shrouds itself in secrecy whenever a controversy crops up. This time again, as the school was embroiled in a ‘situation’, it locked its gates and cut off all communication as far as media is involved. A request for an audience with new headmaster Gautam Chatterjee, whose first assembly address took place this morning, was met with a ‘‘no’’ from his office. Sources, which earlier had given some information, have also clammed up.

Meanwhile, reports that students, after officiating headmaster Derek Mountford announced the appointment of the new headmaster, abstained from lunch till a board member intervened, staged a march past, and actually initiated a signature campaign, are true. Derek Mountford, appointed officiating headmaster in May, 2003, (after the Board terminated the services of Andrew Gray), is an affable man and enjoyed tremendous popularity among the students.

An ex-official said: ‘‘There was never any doubt that, as soon as a new headmaster was appointed, he would have to go…A similiar condition came up when Harish Dhillon relinquished charge of the school and Reema Solomon was made officiating head. But there was never any promise or commitment that the next step would be the headmaster’s chair.’’

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Even then, the students are quite sure of their candidate for headmaster. ‘‘Derek’s the man,’’ cheered some boys, who, reluctant to talk, still confirmed yesterday’s happenings.

Meanwhile, Amanbir Singh, president-elect of the Old Sanawarian Society, sought to pooh-pooh these rumblings, saying: ‘‘All that talk about any slogan-shouting or class boycott is hogwash. Everything is normal here.’’ Old Sanawarian Col N.J.S. Pannu (retd), who was Bursar at the school from 1999 to 2003, feels there is no cause for controversy. ‘‘The appointment of Chatterjee, whose credentials seem impressive, is in the best interests of the school,’’ said Pannu, pointing out how Mountford, at 31, cannot be expected to run an institution like Sanawar.

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