Diocese of Canterbury
		Saint Martin of Tours – Guston Parish Church
		News from Guston
Over 900 years in the service of God and the Community	Services Contacts History Events Prayers Newsletter Sunday School Building Good Causes Links Map Home		News from Guston – Cues Few readers will have missed the television news in early June telling us that one of four coaches taking Guston School children on an outing to Folkestone met with an accident. The coach lost control on a hill, careered off the road and onto a roundabout. Fortunately it remained upright and although a number of pupils and teachers were taken to hospital with some scrapes and bruises I’m glad to write that none were seriously hurt. At the time of writing the cause of the accident is not clear. When the incident occurred I was at home, my colleague Revd. Chris telephoned to tell me that there was a report on the radio, there had been a traffic accident and Guston school was involved. Guston school, its pupils and staff are very dear to us at St Martin of Tours so I immediately called the school to see if I could help and if a visit would be appropriate. I guess it was kind of naïve of me to think that the staff would breezily pick up the phone, exchange pleasantries and tell me about their day. It was clear from Liz the purser’s tone that things were a little fraught and stress was beginning to mount, so I hopped into my car and drove to the school wondering what I might find when I arrived. Upon entering the school any fears that Guston had been left to fend for itself were soon put aside, there were three police officers, four nurses, trained counsellors, several from the local education authority and even a member of the army liaison team (you will recall that many of the pupils are sons and daughters of serving Ghurkha soldiers). This was in addition to the remaining children from the damaged coach and many of their concerned parents. One might imagine that it was a scene of pandemonium but nothing of the sort, the police were briefing us all about the accident, the army representative was translating the news into Nepali, nurses were keeping a watchful eye on the children, counsellors were talking calmly to those in need, Liz was carefully checking the names of parents who wanted to take their children home and the canteen staff were busily handing out tea and biscuits. Most notable among those doing such sterling work was the teaching staff. Any trace of stress they may have felt was not shown to the children, their calm exterior and positive countenance was maintained throughout. After a few hours when the last pupil had returned home and the gaggle of helpers had disappeared I asked one of remaining counsellors how children normally respond in such circumstances. Obviously a wise practitioner of some years experience she told me that they will subconsciously look for and take cues from those around them. Parents and teachers alike will face a kind of balancing act, too much emphasis on the potential risks of the day’s events will lead the child to become frightened, too little and the child may feel under valued and ignored. On my way home I reflected on the counsellor’s words, I wonder from where do we adults take our cues? The world with it’s common hunger for sensation, its cynicism and greed as exemplified by the numerous calls to the school office from various press and media representatives who seemed affable enough but in reality were surreptitiously trying to wheedle out a little more information to spice up and promote their various publications. A world where today’s angst ridden children and worried parents are soon ignored in favour of tomorrow’s circulation boosting spectacle. Or in God who made human kind in his own image, according to His likeness that he says is very good, a God who has been with us from the beginning of time and will be there to its end. A God who in Jesus wept over Jerusalem as did so many of the teachers and staff who, when out of sight of the children, shed a silent tear for those in their care. Revd. Stewart Carolan-Evans