By Arthur Weinreb
Thursday, April 26, 2007
A B.C. elementary school principal was put on leave, naturally with pay, last week after a nude picture of him that he himself had posted on the Internet came to the attention of a parent. The picture was taken on a family vacation in New Zealand and has been described as an "artistic shot". In any event there was nothing in the picture that was sexually suggestive or that could cause it to be classified as pornographic. It was simply a nude photograph.
In what is clearly a sign of the times, it has been reported that a meeting of parents was held and that an overwhelming majority of them supported Mark Classen, the principal. After all what he did wasn't illegal and it didn't DIRECTLY involve his students. Perhaps more importantly, he said he was sorry.
What is transpiring at Harrison Hot Springs Elementary School is a classic example of the dumbing down of not only our school system but of society as a whole. As far as teachers and principals setting good examples for children, we as a society don't seem to expect any more from them than we do from cab drivers and convenience store clerks.
Although the end result would have been the same, this is not a picture that was taken years ago, circulated to a few close friends and then mysteriously appeared on an obscure website. Classen had the picture taken recently and posted it himself on his family's website. The picture became public when the principal accidentally emailed the link to his site to a parent. His lack of judgment in posting the picture is just astounding.
It wouldn't be so bad if the Internet was something that just adults have access to but even children in elementary schools like Classen's are constantly exposed to both the good and the bad that current technology has to offer. Children and young people often post pictures and other material on the Internet without fully understanding the consequences of their actions. Much like Las Vegas, what happens on the Internet stays on the Internet. Not being able to fully appreciate how their actions might affect them 5, 10 or 20 years down the road is a natural part of being young. It is difficult for a young person to think of the long term consequences of anything that they do. Anybody, especially young people who now apply for a job can expect to be Googled. But it seems to most parents that either Classen did not set a bad example for their children or they simply don't care. If Classen is forced to suffer some form of punishment for his actions, not necessarily outright dismissal from education, the kids in his school might actually learn that actions do in fact have consequences.
Back in the olden days when teaching was a profession like medicine and not a unionized trade like municipal garbage collection, there would be no doubt about how all of this would turn out. But those days are long gone. The parents who are supporting Classen are looking at all of this from his point of view. The kids didn't see the picture; it's not illegal; he used poor judgment; he apologized; it's not like he's a pedophile. They have looked at Classen and he is them. The children and what they will take away from all of this are of secondary importance if they have any importance at all.
Unfortunately in today's society, teachers and principals are not expected to act as role models. That's what hip-hop artists and David Suzuki are for.
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