International School of Toulouse

The International School of Toulouse is a co-educational school located in Colomiers near Toulouse in south west France. It was founded in 1999 after the Airbus industry in nearby Blagnac expanded, recruiting increasing numbers of international staff, in particular from Bristol and Scotland. The relatively small but developing school is sponsored therefore by Airbus with the aim of facilitating the mobility of their employees from all over the world. Although the teaching is mostly in English, there are a few students from Spain, France and Korea. The school is noted for its use of information technology in teaching and learning, with every student from age 9 onwards having the loan of their own laptop computer.

Richard Jones-Nerzic was sacked from his position at the Airbus funded International School of Toulouse on the 23rd December 2006. The justification given was that he photocopied the dismissal letter of a colleague (Tanya Carlile), therefore allowing other members of staff to know the reasons for her dismissal. This was despite the fact that an internal investigation revealed that Tanya Carlile had given express permission for staff to know the content of her letter. The Board of Directors at the school (appointed by Airbus) made their decision to dismiss Richard Jones-Nerzic based on a presentation by the Principal, Mr Les Albiston. At no point has Richard Jones-Nerzic been allowed to defend himself to the Board. In addition, he was expressly denied the right to external union representation at his disciplinary hearing.

On the 22nd of December Richard Jones-Nerzic also received a court summons from the school challenging his union’s (SUNDEP) right to representation in the school and his right personally to be the representative of that union in the school. There is a long history behind this. In 2001 and despite much management opposition, staff with the support of SUNDEP, succeeded in setting up a legally recognised system of representation. In the elections of 2001, 2003 and 2005, six SUNDEP members were successfully elected to represent staff. With the dismissal of Richard Jones-Nerzic only one SUNDEP member remains as a staff representative. The other four were all previously dismissed: Pascal Barbeau, Juliette Taylor-Lallau, David Ardley and Sylvie Dukes. The grounds for these previous dismissals were generally ‘economic’ and it is understood that all four signed confidentiality clauses preventing them from talking about the reasons for their dismissal.

An open letter to Mr Les Albiston (Principal of the International School of Toulouse) and Simon Benney (President of the Board of Directors), Robert McCartney, Jesus Morales, Kiran Rao and Juan Martinez (members of the Board of Directors, International School of Toulouse).

We are writing as members of the Comenius 2.1 E-Help Project which is made up of the following institutions:

• Centro de Apoyo al Profesorado - Alcorcón (Madrid) SPAIN
• IES Parque de Lisboa - Alcorcón (Madrid) SPAIN
• The International School of Toulouse - Colomiers FRANCE
• Historical Association - London UNITED KINGDOM
• Spartacus Educational - Worthing UNITED KINGDOM
• Dartford Technology College - Dartford UNITED KINGDOM
• University of East Anglia - Norwich, UNITED KINGDOM
• Fredrika Bremergymnasiet - Haninge SWEDEN
• Hvitfeldska Upper Secondary High School - Goteborg SWEDEN
• Sintermeertencollege - Heerlen, THE NETHERLANDS

For the past 3 years, these institutions have been involved in a joint project working with the IST, working in particular with Mr Jones-Nerzic and Mr Albiston, and we have spent several working visits at the IST. The aim of the project (European History E-learning Project) is to train teachers and teacher-trainers in teaching History in a multilingual European context using cutting-edge ICT in the classroom (www.e-Help.eu).

We learned recently that Mr Jones-Nerzic has been summarily dismissed from his post at the International School of Toulouse on the instruction of the Principal, Mr. Albiston.

There is no doubt that the dismissal of Mr Jones-Nerzic is a severely damaging setback to the E-Help project, and the circumstances surrounding his dismissal add to our concern that all is not well at IST. We understand that this concern is shared by many of the parents and pupils at IST.

Mr Jones-Nerzic has been the coordinator of the E-Help project and has had our complete confidence in terms of his efficiency, ability and integrity. It is not possible to spend so much time working with Mr Jones-Nerzic, and visiting the IST, without coming to the view that he is an outstanding teacher who is very highly respected by parents, colleagues and students alike. He is an international leader in the field of history teaching and ICT and there has not been the slightest indication that he sets anything other than the highest possible standards in terms of his teaching, his examination results, his ability to work with and be supportive of others, and in terms of his overall professionalism.

We were thus surprised and dismayed to hear of his dismissal. Attempts to elicit the reasons for his dismissal from Mr Albiston have proved unsuccessful. Such information as we do have creates at the very least a concern or suspicion that the dismissal may stem from a clash of personalities or a desire to ‘settle scores’ for past actions, rather than from actions of gross professional negligence which would normally be necessary to occasion the summary dismissal of an experienced and successful teacher.

Of course, part of our concern is for the well-being of our project, in which we have invested a great deal of time and energy. We had hopes that the project would prove to be outstandingly successful.

As you will be aware, the International School of Toulouse has been chosen to become the centre for the E-Help teacher-training course from the summer of 2008. It was hoped that hundreds of teachers would come to Toulouse from all over Europe. It was reasonable to expect that the course would bring significant prestige and publicity to the IST. We believe that the summary dismissal of the lead member of the project and the circumstances surrounding this action puts the enterprise in jeopardy. Our concern however, is not limited to the E-Help project itself; it embraces a concern for the colleague who we have worked with over the past 3 years, and for whom we have the highest regard, and a concern for the state of affairs at IST.

It is essential that we have an open and honest relationship with the IST personnel connected with the project if the E-Help project is to continue.

We urge you very strongly to consider the details of the circumstances surrounding the action taken against Mr Jones-Nerzic in a fair, open-minded and sympathetic way. Unless there are clear, compelling and irrefutable reasons which make any action other than dismissal unthinkable, we hope that some constructive way round the present situation may be found. At the very least, if the decision to dismiss Mr Jones-Nerzic is deemed by the Board to be final and irrevocable, we feel that a full and satisfactory explanation of the circumstances surrounding the dismissal needs to be provided if there is to be any hope of the project continuing.

Hannah Thompson: The whole thing is just plain ridiculous. Mr Jones is the best teacher I have ever had, he was dedicated, worked hard for students who worked hard, helped whenever help was needed, was available over and above when he needed to be, and actually cared about his students and what happened to them.

Mr Jones did whatever he could to help students learn, understand and enjoy History, not to mention teach them the critical skills needed to respond to exam questions. He encouraged students to think critically and philosophically, and in my experience the skills Mr Jones taught over a period of time could be used in all subjects and in all aspects of writing, studying and education. He was rightly intolerant of people who saw lessons (particularly close to exam time) as an opportunity to chat, and he always encouraged you to speak up in class, to think through the topic, to encourage discussion and create enthusiasm for History. Mr Jones was critical when he needed to be and gave praise when it was due.

To dismiss such a competent teacher is, pure and simply, complete madness. I am almost tempted to say that if the school doesn't want Mr Jones then it is emphatically their loss and another school's gain.

I am currently at Cambridge University, and was one of only 9, out of 36 applicants, admitted to the college to read History this year. This is, I say without any hesistation, entirely due to Mr Jones. He was by no means the only person to support and help me get into this competitive University, but he was the driving force behind my knowledge, my determination and my understanding of the subject. Mr Jones' teaching and guidance allowed me to feel reasonably confident in an interview where I had to discuss History with professors who have been studying the subject since before I was born, and the first essay I wrote in my first term was, I say without showing off or boasting, only termed anywhere near 'good', due to what I had learned with Mr Jones.

His own determination and obvious passion for the subject showed me that this could be more than just a stuffy academic subject and this enthusiasm spread through my other IB subjects and is still with me now. History is difficult, but Mr Jones helps more than could be expected. He did everything he could, within the evident time restrictions and given the fact that his is obviously and rightly not a 24 hour-a-day job. Mr Jones was available on this forum throughout the time when IGCSE and IB coursework was to be worked on, this is also true regarding Extended Essays - I wrote mine, as did many students, entirely during the summer holidays and Mr Jones was there every time I had a question. I don't know of many teachers who would take the initiative not only to set up such an interactive forum but also to be there at obscure moments to check it.

Mr Jones is known for having a strong personality - he is forceful and gets to the point. Mr Jones may not be everyone's best friend, but that is not why he was employed. I have always found Mr Jones fair and perfectly fine to work with, but it is true that he does not take nonsense from people and he does not allow students to mess about or waste his time. Some people may see this as elitism or rudeness. It is absolutely nothing of the sort. It is simply a passion for the subject, a will to cut to the chase and spend all possible moments working constructively.

He is a teacher who tries to teach creatively, using technology, video etc. and more often than not this is a useful learning experience, even if it is not directly counted for the final exam grade. Mr Jones is realistic, he marks fairly. He is tough and is a perfectionist - both of which are admirable and necessary qualities in a world where exam grades are so important and standards are high. These are also qualities which are necessary if one wants to pursue further education - in my experience the skills Mr Jones taught me, through his constant striving for higher standards, his desire for the best possible work and for every student who puts the work in to acheive their highest potential, have carried me through to the first steps of where I am now and gave me the best possible academic start to my higher education, and it is with no exaggeration that I say these skills are useful in life aswell.

Mr Jones taught me from Year 7 to Year 13 and I can say without any hesitation that he is the best, most inspiring, most hard-working, most caring and most dedicated teacher I have ever had. As a teacher, he set me up for the challenges at University and showed me the satisfaction that hard work can bring. My final years at IST were, so far, among some of the academically toughest and most challenging of my life, especially when I had set myself such high goals, but I can safely say that the reason I set my goals high in the first place is due in part to Mr Jones, and he is the main reason for my academic success.

The school will be a poorer place if it continues to steam ahead with this madness - which seems to have no grounding in anything credible.

The school must be fairly confident of their reasoning to have pursued the matter this far but its lack of communication is making it look like a pathetic petulant child who refuses to discuss or reason, and only makes those who oppose it seem to own the higher ground.

Mr Jones is a good teacher, who gets results. He motivates students and creates enjoyment and passion for his subject. The results he acheives are tangible and credible.

I encourage all students of the IST who believe that Mr Jones should not have been dismissed to do everything they can to show the school that the decision they have made is terrible and misguided.

Zhenia Plotnikova: I graduated from IST in 2006 and have recently integrated a French "grande école", Sciences Po de Paris, which is considered to be a university of excellence in political sciences.

Looking back today to my results in IB or IGCSE, I can assert that my grades are much due to Mr Jones, his talent of teaching and the knowledge he transmitted to me and many others. I remember coming to IST as a lost 15 year old, not knowing how to make a correct essay in English, let alone pass an exam, a tough History exam, in a totally foreign language. Yet, it is precisely the way Mr Jones encouraged my work, the way he teaches, that made me the way I am today: someone with a critical spirit, with an enormous passion for history. Granted, IST has a great deal of excellent teachers and I feel deeply indebted to each of them that has made my route and that of many easier. I transmit my deepest thanks to them all. Yet without diminishing the role of any other of my teachers, I can claim today, and as I shall say to whoever will ask me, Mr Jones is and will rest the best teacher I have ever had, the teacher that knows how to motivate, to develop enthusiasm for his subject, to grade not to just give an A or B or whatever, but to transmit knowledge of your mistakes that you will learn not to repeat. I am not trying to construct what you may see today as a blunt praise, all I am trying to demonstrate is the greatness of the appreciation I have for Mr Jones and the years of History he has taught me. There are teachers that have became great ones by exprience, and then there are teachers who are excellent ones by spirit, by passion; and I believe Mr Jones has managed to unite the two.

This is precisely why the decision that has been taken by the school, altough I do not know all the details, seem to me unfounded: not only it disadvantages the students who have lost a teacher of true excellence and experience, but it is also simply humanely unfair on a person who has dedicated a great part of his life to IST and its students. It is hard for me to realise that Mr Jones may not be sitting in his class, going through once again a pile of essays and tests, or preparing a film that will just make your day not only enlightened but also simply a little bit better.

Now, just addressing th words of Ben, cite above... Well, looking at my personal experiences and here you cannot unfortunately claim more, as IB cannot offer you more than 45 points, my 7s in History HL or Maths HL, or as in all the rest of my classes has GREATLY depended on all the wonderful teachers that I have had. It is precisely in History, which as you have already understood has a very complicated syllabus in IB and a demanding scheme in IGCSE, that guidance is essential. Receiving my results, I have always felt and still feel that they are mostly due to this guidance, to the explanations you often need, to the challenging tasks you are set to understand you topics and to the corrections you receive. Particularly in History, it is only due to this forum and Mr Jones' help that I have managed to finish a solid Extended Essay and an Internal Assessment, it is thanks to Mr Jones' devotion that I, like every other class, have had special sessions on his HOLIDAYS to get prepared for the exams. So, whether you talk Maths or History, the teacher matters. Even in the area of advice, as it is thanks to Mr Jones' and Mr Wade's advice that I have kept having four High Level subjects, which has not affected my final grades. Today I realise, and one day you shall do as well, History and particularly Mr Jones' talent of teaching it, gives you interpretations and perspectives, a skill of analysis that shall serve you a long long time (and, as proved, even in a French unversity!).

I do not know whether this contribution is anywhere helpful, but its aim is to say to you all a word of encouragement, and mostly importantly to tell you, Mr Jones, thank you for the inspiration you gave and continue giving. I hope this unfortunate event will find a reasonable ending.

Robin Webb: As soon as I learnt about Mr Jones' dismissal I was shocked beyond belief, and my first reaction was it didn't make sense. The information available to me is limited, but in my personal opinion, the reasons stated by the school are inadequate, especially when they fired one of their most influential and important assets.

My time at the International School of Toulouse spanned a total of five years, covering both the IGCSE and IB examinations. During this time, Mr Jones proved himself to me as one of the biggest assets the school had to offer. The success of his students past and present is a clear indicator of his worth as a teacher, and I myself achieved the top grades in both the 2003 IGCSE and 2005 IB history exams. He brought a number of other teachers and scholars from around the world to speak to us as students, and involved us in a wide range of Internet based learning programs. He used a variety of teaching techniques, including presentations, group learning, and school trips, which is not something a lot of my other teachers could claim. His lessons and advice on how to write essays have proven invaluable to myself as I further my education at the University of Sheffield in the UK. No other teacher, in my experience at IST, offered the same level of advice, teaching and approachability as Mr Jones. The International School of Toulouse, to my knowledge, has benefited greatly from Mr Jones' humanities website and involvement in international web-based programs, receiving funding and other resources. All in all, to me Mr Jones represents not only one of the school's most competent teachers, but also a pioneer in the use of information technology and international involvement in the classroom, something the school has continuously advertised as one of it's most important characteristics.

Marie Carola Behrens: I was a former IST student, I graduated in 2005. I find the reasons for the dismissal of Mrs. Carlile and Mr. Jones-Nerzic completley ridiculous. I have also read on the education forum that other teachers were dismissed, and I can't help but ask myself why it happened, because it really does seem ridiculous. Mr. Jones Nerzic was my history teacher and even though I didn't get along with him that much and didn't actually have any affinities for him, he was still one of the best history teacher's I have ever had, he did all that was possible to help students get good grades and understand the lessons and make them lots of fun. He was so passionate about history and made his lessons so interessting, by using the education forum, IT and by making us reconstitute very important events in history and all that helped us learn our lessons well and get the good grades that we got for IB. Many students saw in him a mentor and he helped many students with their problems, for exampel my friend Justine King, He was the only teacher she could talk too and get angry at when it was not her day and he never shouted or scowled her for he outbursts in class, he was always comprehensive and tried to help whenever it was possible. As I mentioned, we did not "like" each other as such, but we had a mutual understanding and he still helped me get good grades for my extended essay and my internal essay and also for the history exams itself, because he made us practice how to write good essays and took time to correct them and tell us what we were doing wrong.

I find it unjust that he and Mrs. Carlile got dismissed for such ourageous reasons and I am disappointed at the board of directors for having dismissed them, because they had no reasons too. They made the wrong decision for the school and for those students that have IGCSE and IB exams. If the Board of Directors have children doing those exams, then they have put their children in a very difficult situation.

Simone Scully: I graduated from IST in 2006, but I was taught by Mr Jones for 6 years, from year 8 through to year 13. He was an excellent teacher who always encouraged me and helped me with my studies. I learnt a great deal and this has helped me through to university. What a student learns from Mr Jones will continue to help you well beyond exams, whether you realize it or not. Maybe not specific historical dates, but his preparation for exams and advice on how to study and make notes are skills that he helps his students develop and they are useful no matter what one goes on to do later in life. Mr Jones is also an incredible asset when it comes to university applications. He was very significant in helping me choose LSE and to get in and he helped me change to a dual degree once I got to London with his recommendation to the admissions office. He managed to make me adore history (so much that I added it to my degree here at LSE), and manages to make us see its importance outside the classroom. He makes it come alive, with his re-enacting of the Treaty of Versailles, the propaganda films he had us make to understand what went into the Nazi methods of coercing the people, and countless other role plays that we were involved in during my time at the LSE. He manages to make things rememberable (I still remember all the dates of the Treaties that led up to WWI and all the short term causes etc... they are permanately drilled in to my head!). Mr Jones devoted hours of his time to helping us with our coursework and extended essays, giving us advice and guidance throughout the summers and outside the classroom. He was devoted in a way few teachers are. He also had a way of making things interesting and stretch beyound the conventional methods of teaching. He taught me IT skills, notably with powerpoint, publisher and website building, which are fundamentally important to most of us, even if we are studying subjects like History and Government where most time is spent in the library. He encouraged us to be creative and imaginitive, to think outside the box, to not just regurgitate what we read and heard somewhere. He encouraged intellectual discussion and debate in the classroom and after. He also taught us a little about politics, and yes, maybe he helped sway some of us to the left, but was always fair and didn't try to impose a point of view on us. In addition to this, as I think I showed with my example of how influential he was in me picking the LSE, Mr Jones was a teacher that cared about his students and was able to provide them with advice about their studies and guidance that many of us, such as Hannah and myself, needed.

His dismissal makes no sense. I don't understand how the school can get rid of such an incredible teacher, such a gifted one and one that was clearly well liked within the school, as I think the student's t-shirt protest seems to demonstrate. And I can only begin to understand how scared and angry the students must feel, especially when they were asked to remove the t-shirts. Although not on the same lines, here at LSE I was asked to not participate in a protest against Guantanamo Bay, which involved me wearing a orange-jumpsuit and re-enacting the troubles there, because of the fact that I had to wear something which expressed my point of view in such a visual way, and I felt hurt and upset that someone was trying to reign me in, make me not express my opinions. Similarly, the students at IST must feel the same way... they must feel stifled. That being said, I do understand why, at the same time, the teachers asked them to remove the t-shirts, and why the teachers are not coming out in open support of Mr Jones on this forum. The students have to remember not to get dragged down in something, and they should use the appropriate channels to express their opinions and remember that they need to work, and as a group, the students need to be taken seriously. Unfortunately, protests such as the T-shirt one, or even my example here at LSE, make people uncomfortable and lead to one not being taken as seriously. It's not necessarily the way things should be, but it is true.

Derek Blackham: Richard has been an inspirational teacher for many years at the International School and he is much loved by his current and former pupils and respected by the Parents.

The timing of events and reasoning behind the sackings are awful. The student’s interests were obviously not a priority, the school has been deprived of a great asset and the students penalised right in the middle of their exam preparations.

Following events at the school five years ago, the Parents were given an opportunity to become more involved with the school (there are now two Parents associations that support the school) but if there is no prior dialogue with Parents about concerns within the school it is unlikely that there can be any parental support for such apparently extreme and costly action.

The introduction of unjustified litigation with staff is unpleasant for everybody involved and creates a terrible working atmosphere for existing staff and students within the school. (See the student forum) This is undermining all the good work done at this school.

Over 40 Parents attended the meeting at the school on Tuesday pm, many more could not attend due to the very short notice given. This dissatisfaction will only grow the longer the situation remains.

Janet Thompson: I urge the board of the school and other Parents to try and resolve the situation urgently. Stop all litigation, reinstate the staff and get the students back focused on their academic studies, not as unfortunate spectators in an appalling exhibition of staff management.

As a parent of two former pupils at IST, both of whom have benefitted from the excellence of Mr Jones-Nerzic's teaching, it is heartening to read the contributors' attestations of his ability as a historian and educator.

In the absence of further information leading to Mr Jones-Nerzic's dismissal, as none of the protagonists will reply to letters or e-mails, all concerned parties must continue to demand action. Firstly, for a re-instatement of this excellent teacher in order to ensure the current cohort of examination candidates are not penalized further and secondly, for a full analysis of the management regime at IST which ultimately led to such a debacle. In my opinion this will be the only means to restoring the credibility and reputation of what ought to be a truly world class International School.

Statements: IST Students

Adrian Abbott: First off let me introduce myself, my name is Adrian Abbott, a sixteen year old student at the International School of Toulouse. Since I was twelve years old I have been taught by Richard Jones-Nerzic and I can honestly say the lessons he taught will extend beyond the history class room and accompany me for the rest of my life.

His enthusiasm for his subject was always transferred to his students, and his classes were always some of the most productive in the school. Ask any of his students and you will get the same reply. He is the best teacher that they have ever had. We respected him because he respected us and we all hold him in the highest regard.

The advice he gave for examinations was to say the least, excellent, beyond compare. He has been there to help and guide me for my entire secondary education thus far. After his dismissal the path to my GCSE examinations then seemed a rocky road, scary and hazardous.

The school has not given us any answers to why he was dismissed. The students are asking questions, the parents are asking questions and the management appears to be dancing around our inquiries. Maybe they are intentionally avoiding our appeals for information or maybe they really can’t for “legal reasons”, but we don’t know anything for the moment and we wished we did.

The treatment that Mr. Jones-Nerzic and his family received is deplorable and I hope that everything will be worked out as soon as possible. To be honest I’m still shocked about the whole situation.

I believe that the International School of Toulouse is a brilliant school, but with the recent events and the student body unhappy at the school, unfortunatly I can only see a negative backlash in the future.

I do not understand his dismissal at all. It seems like it hasn’t been thought out. I know that I am not the only student unhappy about this situation, and I wish that they would reinstate him.

Henri Ward: As a student of the IST, I must say with all honesty that the dismissal of Mr. Jones-Nerzic did not surprise me at it should have. It follows a pattern of other professional educators being dismissed or leaving the school due to the opaqueness of the administration. Mr. Jones-Nerzic is a teacher who speaks his mind in the most honest and respectable of fashion, and who, in this particular case, went up against an authority who he believed to have unduly dismissed another member of staff with what was universally seen as a very minor offence.

I myself have been a student of Mr. Jones-Nerzic for the past four and a half years, and not once have I ever doubted his capability as a teacher. When I came into the school in year nine with a borderline interest in History, I became enthralled in this lessons and methods of teaching. His inspiration within the History classroom inspired me do improve, and from a subject that I once viewed as merely mediocre with Mr. Jones's supervision I was soon excelling past all other subjects. His style of teaching is one that not just encourages students to learn the content, but the much wider implications outside of the specified subject, and the most effective way to process that knowledge. His dedication to his students has been unwavering. I have very specific memories of his revision sessions for History IGCSE once a week, giving up his free time after school, and even spent one day during the Holidays preparing us for the upcoming exams, the only teacher in the school to prepare his/her students in this way.

The direction that he points his students in for IB History is also commendable. His help to students with coursework such as the Extended Essay and the Internal Assessment has been invaluable to all students. He has given up many a lunch break talking to me about problems I have with these assignments, provided me with useful material, and spends hours on the Student Education Forum communication with his students about issues with their work.

Mr. Jones-Nerzic is one of the most pro-active and dedicated teachers at the IST. If he does not continue to work there, numerous History students will not receive his unique teaching style, and will have missed out on a fantastic opportunity to not only learn about the world that has been, but the world they live in today.

It was a mistake to dismiss such a great teacher. It would be a far greater mistake, after the huge reaction to the situation, not to reinstate him.

Statements: Colleagues of Richard Jones-Nerzic

John Simkin: I first met Richard Jones-Nerzic in 2001 when I was invited to run an in-service session with the staff of IST. While I was in the school I had the opportunity to observe Richard teaching. I can honestly say that Richard is the best history teacher I have ever seen. I was so impressed that I arranged for him to become a member of the European Virtual School, an initiative of the Swedish Department of Education.

In 2003 I joined with a group of European educationalists in developing a Comenius Project entitled the “European History E-Learning Project (E-HELP)”. It was decided that Richard was the best person to lead the project. As Comenius Project contracts are given to institutions rather than individuals, this meant that the International School of Toulouse, would have to be the lead organization. This was met with approval by Les Albiston and in 2004 Comenius approved our application.

Established in October, 2004, the overall aim of E-HELP is to encourage and improve the use of ICT and the Internet in history classrooms in Europe. Richard has done an excellent job as coordinator and the European authorities approved our first two years work. Les Albiston was fully aware of the success of the project as he attended most of our meetings held in France, Spain, Sweden and the Netherlands. We are currently working on the final task of organizing the E-HELP conference to be held next year.
I was deeply shocked when I heard from Richard that he was facing a disciplinary hearing at the IST. I phoned Les Albiston and tried to discuss this issue with him. However, it seemed that despite the evidence that had emerged since these false charges were made, he was determined to sack Richard. The news on 23rd December only confirmed my fears that Les was determined to carry out his plan of removing Richard from the staff of IST.

I am aware that heads of institutions often use their power to remove members of staff who ask awkward questions. They usually employ methods that are fairly subtle and little fuss is made about these decisions. That option was available to Les Albiston. However, he decided to create as much stress as possible to Richard by sacking him just a few days before Christmas.

Richard’s only crime was to question the dictatorial methods being employed by a head teacher who thinks he is running a school in Toulouse during the Vichy regime. This is not only an issue of Richard’s job. A fine school is being ruined by the actions of one man. It is no coincidence that Richard has been treated in this way. It is all part of his strategy to bully his staff into submission. Richard’s case is a warning to other staff members who might be tempted to resist his dictatorial rule.

Andy Walker: I first met Richard Jones Nerzic in 2003 when I was invited to take part in the preliminary meeting for the Comenius Project John Simkin refers to in his post. In the subsequent three years I have had the pleasure and privilege in taking part in the successful Comenius Project he has led and coordinated with great efficiency and professionalism. Membership of this group has taken me to Toulouse and the IST on 3 different occasions.

On each visit to IST I have been hugely impressed by the esteem Richard is held in by colleagues and students. I have never had the slightest doubt that Richard is a hardworking, successful and committed professional. It was also very clear that the departments he led were amongst the most successful in the school.

It strikes me as disturbing and perverse that any institution should wish to summarily dismiss one of its greatest assets. More so given that Richard and Les Albiston (who has also attended several Comenius meetings) appeared to have a successful and constructive professional relationship.

Something has gone very wrong indeed when a committed and dedicated professional can be sacked just before Christmas for "photocopying a letter" about the questionable dismissal of a colleague.

I am deeply concerned about what is happening at the IST. Here is a school which ought to be about as close to paradise as you can get in the education profession - beautifully designed buildings, fantastic ICT equipment, vibrant young professional teachers, and best of all interesting and intelligent pupils who have a genuine hunger to learn. All this is being placed at grave great risk .

A first step to salvaging this sorry mess should be to reinstate Richard Jones Nerzic. I would from there recommend that the administration of school begin to listen to and consult with both the students of their school, (who are articulate and intelligent), and, just as importantly, establish a professional dialogue with the professional associations of the staff's choosing.

Juan Carlos Ocaña: I can only agree with John Simkin's and Andy Walker's opinion about Richard Jones-Nerzic. I have been several years collaborating with him in several projects (Virtual School, E-Help) and I have visited several times IST in Toulouse.

Richard Jones-Nerzic always seemed to me a very capable and enthusiastic history teacher, who is in the cutting-edge in Europe of using ICT in teaching history. He has played the role of EHELP coordinator in a very professional way. And I can assure that it is not an easy task to coordinate such a complicated project. On top of that, he has always been a person who you can put your trust in.

Dan Lyndon: I would also like to add my support for Richard, whose passion and expertise in the teaching of history is inspiring. Since working with Richard over the last few years, my own teaching has been enhanced significantly by the sharing of good practice and the use of fantastic materials that he has developed on the IST History website. Every year I teach my GCSE pupils using the Reichstag Fire Roleplay that Richard developed and it is one of my favourite activities. I use the IST students, that were videoed as a model for my own pupils and we also produce a short film based on the role play. Richard is widely recognised as one of the leading exponents of using digital video in the classroom and I am indebted to him for changing my own practice in this direction. It seems to me a traversty that one of the most valued teachers in the school has been released.

Anders MacGregor-Thunell: I met Richard in 2001 when I was invited to Virtual School. At the time I knew very little about ICT and had no experience of webwork (I had not been invited as an "ICT expert" but as a history teacher who wanted to use ICT...). Not to long after this we held a great meeting at IST in Toulouse and Richard started to teach me the very basics of ICT. With other words - he became my teacher! He very patiently took this slow Swede through the first obstacles of making your own homepage and explained how to continue...

It's always been great working with Richard. He is a fantastic pedagog, an extremely devoted teacher, hard working and very skilled. Everybody talks about his cutting edge skills in ICT. To that I would also like to add his willingness of sharing this knowledge. As the coordinator of our group in e-help he has showed that he also has great leading abilities. Our group has done very well under his lead so my chock was huge when I found out about the sacking. It does not make any sense...

Richard is a trustworthy person - fair, open and very easy to communicate with so my understanding of what happened is non-existent. It must be some kind of misunderstanding and I hope that IST will reinstate Richard as soon as possible. He is vital in our project and he is as important as a teacher at IST.

Anders MacGregor-Thunell: I met Richard in 2001 when I was invited to Virtual School. At the time I knew very little about ICT and had no experience of webwork (I had not been invited as an "ICT expert" but as a history teacher who wanted to use ICT...). Not to long after this we held a great meeting at IST in Toulouse and Richard started to teach me the very basics of ICT. With other words - he became my teacher! He very patiently took this slow Swede through the first obstacles of making your own homepage and explained how to continue.

It's always been great working with Richard. He is a fantastic pedagog, an extremely devoted teacher, hard working and very skilled. Everybody talks about his cutting edge skills in ICT. To that I would also like to add his willingness of sharing this knowledge. As the coordinator of our group in e-help he has showed that he also has great leading abilities. Our group has done very well under his lead so my chock was huge when I found out about the sacking. It does not make any sense...

Richard is a trustworthy person - fair, open and very easy to communicate with so my understanding of what happened is non-existent. It must be some kind of misunderstanding and I hope that IST will reinstate Richard as soon as possible. He is vital in our project and he is as important as a teacher at IST.

Nico Zijlstra: I've been working for several years now with Richard Jones-Nerzic. First in Virtual School History Department, over the last couple of years in the E-Help project. This project was initiated in a meeting in Madrid whit Les Albiston, his principal in IST present. It was decided that IST would apply for a Comenius 2.1 grant. Richard Jones-Nerzic was to become the chairman of the project. A inspiring chairman. In the project we were looking forward to have a test-run of the course the members were going to present in Norwich this Spring. The dismissal of Richard Jones-Nerzic puts the project into jeopardy. I hope the board of directors will overturn the dismissal, looking at the achievements of Richard, not only for E-Help, but for the whole of IST as well.

Jean Philippe Raud Dugal: As an history and geography teacher from France I have known Richard for four years. I met him twice at the IST, once for the E Help project. Everytime he received me as a special guest, very kindly and was always available. Thanks to him I improved my way of teaching in European Section (teaching H & Geography in English).

What a surprise for me hearing, thanks to John, that Richard was sacked from the IST. If a teacher has to be respected for his high sense of probity THIS IS HIM. I'm with him, and if he needs any help for action I Will be there.

More, I'm ever more surprise that Les did that. I remember his full confidence in what Richard did for the recognition of IST and the passion he puts into his teaching practice. Things changed apparently...

I hope that the board of directors will change its mind. If not by heart but by reason. For the students, the school, the european project best interests. And for a man who deserves it more than the entire people present in this forum.

Johannes Ahrenfelt: first met Richard in May 2006 when I was invited to hold a seminar in Toulouse and join as an Associate Member of E-Help. It struck me quickly that this is a man who has a real passion for History and someone who is willing to go out of his way to ensure that the project would endure and continue to be successful. The level of professionalism, organisation and enthusiasm that I experienced during those few days in May I shall never forget. A truly memorable and inspiring time.

Ed Podesta: Knowledgeable, clever, passionate, but above all open, friendly and humane, I would have thought that Richard was one of IST's greatest assets. Meeting him and the other teachers on the E-Help project at Heerlen was a real inspiration for me.

I hope that the parents of students at the IST recognise the potential harm that this decision could do to their childrens' education and use their influence with the directors to reverse his dismissal.

I'm shocked that the management of a school would risk the educational welfare of its students in a move that seems to be more about kneejerk fears of unionisation under the excuse of a paltry breach of procedure.

Simon Ross: I would like to add my support for Richard. I met him in May 2006 in Toulouse and found him to be a knowledgeable and inspirational teacher. My involvement with the E-Help project, of which he is such an important part, has been one the most beneficial of my career. I am deeply shocked by what I understand of his dismissal. The actions of IST management will undoubtedly damage their students' education and diminish the reputation of the institution across Europe.

Roy Huggins: I would just like to add my shock and surprise for the dreadful way that Richard has been treated. Like Simon above, I met Richard for the first time at the international conference at IST in 2006. I have always found him to be a highly committed professional who cares passionately about his subject. Its a real shame that the board of governors at IST have taken this course of action. I would like to add my support for Richard and his family at this difficult time. The truth will ultimately prevail and justice will be done!

Caterina Gasparini: I cannot but agree with all the others - teachers, pupils and parents - who expressed their support to Richard Jones-Nerzic. I met him at IST in Toulouse where I was invited to join one of the E-Help project conferences. I found him to be an excellent, experienced and enthusiastic history teacher who was also coordinating a very complex and successful European project with great professional skills. IST school gave me a very good impression as the model school where every teacher would like to work and the perfect place for a teacher like Richard and a project like E-Help. I was very disappointed by the news of his dismissal.

Charo Requejo: I met Richard Jones-Nerzic at the E-Help meeting in March, 2006. It was the first meeting I attended as new E-Help member representing my institution, CAP de Alcorcón. I was impressed by his professionalism as well as his knowledge of ICT and its applications to History teaching. I am sure he is the best representative for IST in the project as well as the best coordinator we could have, efficient and supportive. The meetings I’ve attended as well as the activities involved in the project have gone on smoothly thanks to his professional coordination. Working with him has been a great experience.I hope that IST will soon reinstate Richard.

David Harris: I worked with Richard from the very start of IST in August 1999 until July 2006 and I would like to add to the forum my impressions of him as a colleague over the years.

His students have supplied superlatives galore so far and that is no surprise to me. Watching the way Richard was able to make his passion for History so infectious for his students was fascinating and inspiring. Every IST teacher will have overheard corridor conversations - sometimes heated! - between students about the opening of the Eastern front or the treaty of Versailles. Richard has a gift for getting his subject under the students' skin.

Richard's contribution to the curriculum is not limited to History - he consistently pushes the envelope with technology and he is generous with his time not only with his students but with his colleagues. I have benefited from picking his brains on many occasions, be it on how to draw parallels between the way he teaches students to structure an essay and the needs of structure in Maths projects, or in how to edit digital videos. I recall in the first year of the school I asked Richard to help me with a cross-curricular project about population growth. The task was for his Geography class to predict the population of the world at a specific time. Richard was able to guide his class to do this using statistical software that I gave him at short notice and he typically achieved a result that added value to the mathematical objectives I had for the task. This was not the only time in the seven years I worked with Richard that he went out of his way to help so effectively.

I have consistently been amazed at not only the quality of Richard's ideas over the years but the sheer volume of school trips he has conceived and executed, the Extended Essays he has supervised, contribution to TOK, the Professional development he has given through E-Help and so on.

IST is still young and has evolved from a much smaller school than the one we know today. We opened in August 1999 with students in years 1 to 11 and only around 150 students - sorry I have forgotten the actual number! - this was before the IGCSE and IB classes were established.

Richard was the first teacher to put a class through IGCSE - in 2000 - for his subject and get a great set of results. At the very start of the school's existence, I remember thinking that we were always talking to parents in the future tense about what the school could offer. Richard has been prolific in turning potential into reality; instrumental in fulfilling the potential of his fledgling department and taking full advantage of the exciting opportunities that IST gives to all its teachers. He has always applied energy, passion, commitment and courageous innovation.

Ben Walsh: I would very much like to add my voice in support of Richard. Anyone who has met him or seen his work cannot fail to be impressed by his passion for history and for teaching history. The positive comments from former pupils are an eloquent testimony to his qualities. Taking on the E-Help project ought to have been a source of prestige for the school as well as being a noble duty undertaken by Richard. Perhaps there has been some misunderstanding, perhaps other factors are at work. Whatever the background factors, if IST loses a quality individual like Richard the school will be a poorer place for it.

David Richardson: I've met Richard twice at E-HELP meetings in Sweden, which is enough to be able to say that Richard is so self-evidently an excellent teacher, and a very serious colleague. The threshold at IST must be extremely low if it can't accommodate a person like Richard.

Whilst I have no idea what the substantive issues are behind Richard's sudden dismissal, the whole situation seems a bit absurd. Is the management of IST so unsure of itself and so weak that it can't handle the kind of action that a teacher of Richard's integrity is likely to take?

Dalibor Svoboda: I started cooperation with Richard when he joined History classroom at Virtual School. Richard became very fast a source of inspiration for all the other members. Under Richard’s leadership two pedagogical projects had been developed and presented at History classrooms webpage; Pilgrimage and Spanish Civil War. Later, when members from History classroom decided on E-HELP project our cooperation continued until this day. Richard was always easy to cooperate with. Therefore it is a riddle for me why the situation at IST so rapidly turned out in this unbelievable way. My hope is that Richard's knowledge and enthusiasm will bring him back to the school soon again.

Dan Moorhouse: Richard is one of the most inspiring teachers I have had the pleasure of meeting. His passion for the subject and dedication to his students has been evident on each occasion I have met him or corresponded with him. The materials that he developed for his students are exemplary and have been of great use to myself and colleagues on numerous occasions over the years.

It would appear that Richard has been accused of being a troublemaker by the management of IST. If it is of any use whatsoever I can provide them with plenty of evidence of him being an outstanding diplomat who has been extremely careful to protect the good name of IST and of him being committed to preventing disputes escalating.

Mike Tribe: I first ran into Richard in a discussion on using new media to teach IB history. I asked how he managed to get through the very extensive and demanding curriculum and still manage to do interesting and innovative things with the kids. It wasn't till I met him when he was escorting a crowd of teenagers on a fireld trip to Madrid that I began to understand how he does it. Enthusiasm positively bubbles out of the guy! His dedication and flair were even more obvious "face-to-face" than they are on his excellent IST Humanities website to which I (and my IB students and colleagues) have been frequent visitors. It's quite a long time since I've met anyone quite as committed to education.

As far as I'm concerned, and educational administrator who feels their school would be a better place without someone like Richard needs to take a long leave of absence and lie down in a darkened room until he recovers.

Ed Waller: I met Richard Jones-Nerzic in Heerlen when attending an E-Help event as an associate. His reputation as an outstanding teacher was very much confirmed at the event.

My own students regularly look in awe at the DV work of Richard's students. The comments made on this thread by former students I can fully understand, and, as has been said before, are an eloquent testimony to his work with young people.

Having read the information here and in similar places, the IST appears to have made a foolish decision at best, and likely a malicious and/or mendacious choice.

It would be understandable for Airbus to try to reduce costs given its current state. However what seems to amount to an attack on the education of its employees' offspring is indeed the unacceptable face of capitalism. An attack today on the education of employees' offspring will only be the start of a longer process of eroding staff benefits. All Airbus employees should be concerned at this action.

The silence of Airbus, in the person of Les Albiston of IST, is an indictment of the treatment meted out to Richard. As a Trade Union representative in the UK, I would urge all members of Trade Unions associated with Airbus and IST to show that it is unacceptable to treat Trade Unionists in what appears to be this callous and cavalier way.

Laurence Hicks: Can I add my support for Richard? It is almost criminal to question his integrity because his commitment to his school and his students is beyond compare. Unfortunately, it doesn’t follow that justice will be done and that Richard will be reinstated with a full apology.

In the meantime, much of the outstanding work that Richard and his colleagues have done to raise the international profile of IST as a school of excellence is now under threat. I don’t suppose I’m the only one to have advised a staff room colleague against applying for a new teaching post at IST.

Chris Higgins: I have only recently got to know Richard, after I was invited to particpate in an E-Help conference in Stockholm, but on that brief acquaintance could immediately see what an innovative and inspirational teacher he is. His passion for his subject and drive to explore innovative new ways of teaching and learning is entirely infectious, and I returned from our conference inspired to improve my own professional skills. Richard made me feel instantly welcome to the group, his generosity and kindliness are a credit to him, and I wish him well for the future. Whatever he now decides to do, I am sure he will be immensely successful!

Vicente López-Brea Fernández: I am so sorry to know of Richard's unfair dismissal and would like to urge IST's governing board to reinstate him and his other colleague. I met Richard in 2005 when I was an active member of the E-HELP project, as my institution , the CAP de Alcorcón (Madrid) was and is an active member. Needless to say Richard's impression was that of the highest efficency and proved extensively his talents both in History teaching incorporating IT and in coordinatiing the work of the Comenius 2.1 Project. As I see it there is NO way a professional like Richard can be dismissed on grounds of work inefficiency. Not only are his talents known to his students and student's parents, you have a list throughout this thread of international experts backing and acknowledging an outstanding expert, an efficient coordinator, a good worker whose only mistake may have been to voice injustice and unfairness. I sincerely hope there is a way back and the IST community reacts to these unfair events. All my support for Richard is his fight for rights.

Terry Haydn: What has happened over the last few weeks is awful on many levels. There must be hundreds of people involved in this in one way or another who are feeling intensely angry, upset or both. I feel sorry for the parents and pupils affected, who have lost a dedicated and inspirational teacher (this does not seem in any dispute and the evidence to support this seems overwhelming). Lots of lives will have been profoundly affected by Richard's sacking. I feel sorry for the teachers working at the school: the IST cannot be a happy place at the moment, the climate must be pretty awful. Things might not have been perfect in the period prior to Richard's dismissal, but over the past 2-3 years, I think that all of us involved with the E-Help project felt that it was a pleasure and a privilege to work with such a fantastic school, and such nice people - this came out of the blue for us. The E-Help project had been very successful and fulfilling; this affair throws things very much up in the air and has soured and possibly jeopardised the project - can anyone see us having a 'business as usual' meeting at Toulouse in March? But all these things, important though they are, seem to me to pale into insignificance compared to the profound injustice of what has happened to Richard. To be sacked from an institution for which you have worked so hard, and with such success, must feel horrible, and make him feel very bitter. So I think that what is more important than anything is to work as hard and constructively as possible to secure an outcome which is as helpful as possible for Richard. I hope that we can act with the intelligence, effectiveness and integrity which Richard has demonstrated over the past several years, both as leader of the project, as a teacher at the IST, and as an eminently decent human being.