Choir of support for popular music teacher

Jun 28 2011 by Iain Howie, Perthshire Advertiser Tuesday

UPSET pupils in Perth are singing the praises of a popular music teacher in a last-ditch bid to make sure he is kept on by school authorities.

Substitute teacher Mr Yeaman has been at Perth Grammar School for around two years and in that time his approach to music and lessons has struck a chord with pupils.

But it seems pupils believed his work at the school and his popularity would see his temporary position become permanent – only for them to be shocked when they learned he’d been passed over when an opening emerged.

Now they have started a petition calling on the authorities to change their tune, otherwise the acting principal teacher is expected to leave later this week when term ends.

So far more than 110 pupils have signed an online petition “support Mr Yeaman” while paper petitions have seen many others sign up.

The petition reads: “As a collective we feel that in his time at Perth Grammar he has become an integral part of the school community with his infectious enthusiasm, his keen eye for talent and his willingness to invest his own time and effort into the pupils’ development.

“With these admirable qualities eagerly applied both in the classroom and in extra-curricular activities we feel that he is not only a highly suitable candidate but also the popular choice among the community as a whole.”

The website also contains a number of tributes to the teacher.

One petition signatory said: “Couldn’t ask for a better music teacher, PGS (Perth Grammar School) should be ashamed”

Another said: “Mr Yeaman is one of the reasons I stayed on in school – a real big negative atmosphere in the school if you let him go.

“He brings such a different experience to any other music teacher I’ve had, and I’ve had a lot!”

Brendan Macfarlane, father of S2 pupil George Macfarlane who co-raised the petition, said the music teacher was “inspirational” to his child and others.

“I have never heard of anything like this, pupils petitioning to keep a teacher on,” he said yesterday.

A spokesperson for Perth and Kinross Council said it did not comment on the circumstances of individual employees.