By Peter Bugden
PETER Chapman is a man of “good days and better days”, and his days at St Joseph’s College, Gregory Terrace, over the past decade must surely count among his best.
He finished at the esteemed boys’ college at the end of last year after being principal for 11 years.
He was so highly regarded there that, at his farewell, college dean Chris Mayes – now principal of St Patrick’s College, Shorncliffe – said Peter Chapman “will be viewed as one of the great principals of St Joseph’s College, Gregory Terrace”.
That’s quite a compliment, since the Brisbane college is regarded as one of Queensland’s leading private schools.
The December 2014 edition of the college’s publication “The Terracian” recorded the deep admiration shown for the departing leader, including the glowing tribute from Mr Mayes.
“It is said that extraordinary things are achieved by ordinary people,” he said.
“In the case of Peter Chapman, I would agree with this but with one caveat – there is nothing ordinary about Peter’s leadership and vision.”
That leadership and vision will now be at the service of Edmund Rice schools throughout Queensland, with Peter having recently taken up the role of regional director of support for Edmund Rice Education Australia’s Northern region.
The Northern region covers Queensland and includes EREA’s mainstream schools and flexible learning centres.
Peter’s appointment continues his association with Christian Brothers and Edmund Rice education that has spanned more than 20 years.
“Edmund Rice Education Australia (named in honour of Edmund Rice who founded the Christian Brothers) is basically a structure that has taken over Christian Brothers schools across the country,” he said.
His new role in that system is “to partner schools” in the Northern region.
“My role is basically to support schools but not duplicate services that are run by other agencies such as curriculum inservices or what Brisbane Catholic Education Office can offer,” he said.
“I’m involved in things like appraisals for senior members of staff, senior school appointments.
“My hope is that I’m supportive of principals in what they do.
“I think the role of a principal is a very demanding role these days and, while they’ve got to be across a lot of things, I hope that I could be a resource to them.
“That assistance can come in all sorts of forms, whether it’s curriculum, whether it’s pastoral, or whether it’s mission, or religious education, industrial, enterprise bargaining …
“It’s supporting them, in connecting them with those resources in the most appropriate way, and helping them keep their schools focused in that document called the charter that’s faithful to Catholic education in Edmund Rice schools across the country.”
As part of that Peter will be involved in a school renewal process, assisting leadership teams to examine the question “What is it to be a Catholic school in this Edmund Rice tradition?”
“I will work with school communities, principals and school boards around promoting that Edmund Rice charism that is expressed in a charter of a school in the Edmund Rice tradition,” he said.
For the man who decided at a young age that education was to be his career it has always been about making a difference just as he was “inspired by teachers who made a difference in my life”.
“I think you have your particular craft as a teacher, whether it’s teaching mathematics or science or religion, but you also have an opportunity to form people,” he said.
“I often used to say to teachers, ‘In every engagement, yes, I’ll share my craft, but it’s an opportunity to do some formation with those people’.”
Peter said this was not a case of saying “Okay, this is a formation lesson today but the way I treat people and the way I engage is an opportunity of modelling”.
“And we get the background of how that’s done – it’s expressed in the Gospel; it’s expressed in our own Edmund Rice story, and every interaction we have with young people is an opportunity of formation,” he said.
Drawn by that possibility in the beginning, Peter is “still inspired by that today”. “And, while I’m not directly involved in schools, I think my experience in schools can – hopefully – help school communities to grow in their understanding of what is the call to be a Catholic school in this Edmund Rice tradition that we speak about,” he said.
The way the Christian Brothers have grappled with that question and continue to do so through EREA is part of the reason why Peter was drawn to the organisation and has stayed.
“The Christian Brothers have a significant number of order-owned schools across the country and they have said as their numbers decline, these schools are worth preserving in the traditions that they have brought to that system of schools,” he said.
“I suppose when they thought about shifting from the religious running the schools to a lay model they’ve really had to put things on pause and say ‘Well, what is it that’s core to what we do? What is it that inspires us?’
“Schools are frenetic places, and I love the reflective practice they put in place and said, ‘Well, what’s core to our places?’
“And one of the things that they did in the very early stages they created a charter which captured that; and it gets its story.
“It gets its direction from the intersection of two stories – the Gospel story of 2000 years ago and the Edmund Rice story of 200 years ago, and it’s those two stories that bring us to this particular point in time.
“And they’ve tried to capture what sits as foundation to all of that.
“That’s been inspiring – the fact that they were prepared to take a risk and try something.
“They’ve set up this system which is fairly new in the Church in Australia.
“I think they’ve situated their schools and their legacy well for the future.”
Maintaining his passion and motivation for teaching and leadership in education comes down to “the hope and optimism of youth”.
“Young people have great hope and optimism and enthusiasm. I think it keeps your mind young, it keeps you fairly active and it gives you great energy,” the former teacher and principal said.
“It’s a very rewarding career, to see young people come in in Year 5 and graduate in Year 12.
“They come in as a young boy or young girl and then they leave as a young adult, and what happens, not only physically, but mentally and that whole maturity thing, is quite incredible to watch over that period of time.
“And I was at Terrace long enough to actually see a young boy come in at Year 5 and leave as a young man, and just to see that growth … I think that gives you energy; you’re part of that journey.
“It’s the most significant period of growth in a young person.
“They have their good days and better days and all of that, and it makes us sharpen our skills and pique what we do.
“Some days we get it right; some days we get it right in a much better way.”
