Walking among the students of St Joseph’s Primary School on Thursday for its annual Do It For Dolly event brought back memories of a somewhat different time.
All I heard and saw were words of encouragement. One student even offered to hold a pencil case for a boy whose photo I was taking and needed his hands to be free. There were smiles and positive interaction among students of all ages.
No signs at all of a long gone era that included regular screams of ‘four eyes’, ‘brace face’ or ‘retard’ (however politically incorrect, a stark reality of the 1980s), now relics of another time as modern society adapts and understands more the impact of name calling and physical aggression.
And while I would definitely describe my upbringing as a learning experience — both colourful and challenging — its main purpose now is helping me to comprehend just how much things have improved.
Do It for Dolly is an event held every May in memory of Amy “Dolly’’ Everett, the 14-year-old Northern Territory girl who took her own life in January 2018 following extensive bullying.
Her parents, Kate and Tick, wanted their daughter to have a legacy and have regularly shared the story of how starting the Dolly’s Dream organisation has helped their family to heal.
It is a far cry from kick to kick on the oval of Kyabram High School, which offered a rather different environment — probably something anyone over the age of 40 will be familiar with.
Some would say it was tougher, others would use the word confronting and for many the school oval was just a no-go zone in between classes.
After considering those physically testing recess and lunchtime interactions, often involving British Bulldog (a no holds barred version of tag) a little further, I would describe it as simply “uneducated’’.
Bullies are now going the way of the dodo, and rightly so, but in the 1980s they were alive and kicking — literally.
Not that school was an unhappy place for me, which makes me wonder a little — was I a bully?
On reflection, I wouldn’t think too much, if at all, about the feelings of others as a primary and even secondary schooler.
Nowadays, and due credit to those responsible for the shift in attitude, the feelings of others are the first thing in the minds, on most occasions at least, of children when they interact.
At the Campaspe St school, among thousands involved in the Do it For Dolly fundraising event, it went to the next level as part of the school population designed the events.
St Joseph’s offers all of its Year 6 students the opportunity to spend a term in the wellbeing event co-ordination role. Last week was no doubt a valuable reminder of what can be done to ensure students feel comfortable in their environment.
Back in the day there was a big side and a little side, dating back to the Tongala Consolidated School days, and if you were in Year 4 or above you didn’t dare step foot on the other side of the school unless you had a sizeable elder brother (I didn’t).