Jimmy Johnston, a former winner of the national Inspirational Teacher of the Year title, is a generous man. The Springburn Academy techy teacher and former president of the Technical Teachers’ Association won a prized pound;2,000 along with his award.
We hear he tucked away this tidy sum for a rainy day. And it has been raining ever since in the newly refurbished academy, now proudly owned by 3ED, the private consortium.
The old forge so beloved of techy teachers was also tucked away in storage while the Glasgow secondary was rebuilt. Sadly, after years in the dust it is no longer serviceable. But neither the city council nor PPP owners felt strongly enough to fund a replacement.
With pupils’ performance lacking in the basic manual skills, Johnston has done what only a great benefactor such as Andrew Carnegie or Tom Hunter can do, and dipped into his own pocket. Cost? You guessed it, two grand.
Surely he is in line for another award?
