By Joanne Sargent, Observer contributor
I would venture to say that most of us, if asked if we had a favourite teacher, would have a ready answer. Although under-respected by some, teachers can, and often do, have a lifelong influence on their students. School Life is the story of two devoted Irish teachers who are in their last year before retirement. It’s a joyous look at the role that school, education and, most importantly, teachers, have in the lives of young minds. This movie is our final documentary of this season and plays at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 30 at the Salmar Classic.
School Life chronicles the rhythms of life over the course of a year at Headfort, the only primary age boarding school in Ireland. The film was originally titled “In loco parentis” which means “in the place of the parent,” which truly describes the role of teachers at boarding schools. Amanda and John Leyden, the caring teachers at the heart of the film, have been at Headfort for more than 40 years, and still fret about the past, present and future of the children in their care. They try to help them both academically and socially.
They hug the students, listen to their problems, correct them when they’re doing something wrong, and praise them when they’ve made the right step. They command the respect of their students and seem to know what each particular child needs to hear.
John and Amanda Leyden aren’t all business, though; they’re also quirky and fun. John is an outwardly gruff taskmaster who instructs students in Latin and math, but comes alive when encouraging his young students to join the school’s rock band.
Amanda is a force of nature with an eyebrow piercing and an infectious love of the written word. She connects with her students through literature and drama.
John and Amanda are naturally humourous people, delivering dry humour and witty wisecracks, making the film quite funny.
School Life totally submerges us into the school’s atmosphere. We are privy to the endless issues that teachers must manage, featuring three individual children: Ted, who is dyslexic, Florie, who was a child model in London, to which John attributes her low self-esteem, and Eliza, who hardly ever speaks. Headfort provides all the children a mixture of caretaking and independence. The students have the freedom to roam the grounds or gather in classrooms and rehearsal spaces to converse about their lessons and each other.
In class, there are lots of group discussions on morality and respect and dignity, reinforcing themes of compassion and empathy.
This movie is a celebration of two eccentric and inspirational teachers and, by extension, teachers everywhere.
One thing is clear – when John and Amanda finally leave the school, the loss will be felt deeply on both sides. In its own unassuming way, these people, and this movie, will get to you.
And a reminder that this Saturday, May 26 we have two showings of The Rider, about a rodeo cowboy’s life after a severe injury.
-This is the final film in the Shuswap Film’ Society’s season, which will take a break for the summer months and resume again in September. The column will resume at that time as well.