While Unions in US Hold Students Hostage, Teacher in England Delivers 7,500 Meals to Kids During Lockdown
As American teachers unions continue their selfish fight against the reopening of public schools, one teacher across the pond is providing his fellow educators a lesson in putting students first.
Consider class officially in session.
Good News Network reported late last month that award-winning teacher Zane Powles devoted time every workday for about four months to delivering lunches for his Western Primary School students amid coronavirus-related shutdowns.
“When I started these walks I was concerned about the kids and their wellbeing and I wanted to make sure I could see them all,” said Powles, whose school is located in Grimsby, England.
That’s me done done. Just delivered my last of over 7500 meals; walked approx 550 ; and carried well over 4 tonne to our amazing children
Thank you to everyone that helped me along the way. Going to put my feet up for a week before the epic cycle#ZaneyCycle2020
The last meals pic.twitter.com/Th0qXJrJ2P
— Zane (@zaneyteacher) July 17, 2020
“I needed to know if they were safe, if they were healthy and if they had access to food.”
An English military veteran, according to The Independent, Powles was no stranger to long treks and heavy backpacks — a good thing, considering his route to deliver roughly 80 student lunches each day covered about 7.5 miles.
When all was said and done on July 17, as school came to an end for the summer at Powles’ school, the tender-hearted teacher had delivered 7,500 lunches and walked a grand total of 600 miles.
[firefly_poll]
It was a bittersweet moment.
“After all these months it was a bit emotional for it to come to an end,” Powles said. “I love seeing my students and checking up on them. It’s so important to me.”
In the 17 weeks Powles had been making his deliveries, he became something of a local sensation, finding himself on BBC News and accruing a substantial following on social media.
It was not the first time the teacher has been recognized for going above and beyond to care for his students.
In 2019, Powles received the Inspirational Primary School Teacher award after being nominated by a local parent for his work as assistant headteacher with the at-times difficult youths in the Western Primary School’s behavior unit.
Powles was unconcerned with recognitions or any sort of hero status, however, simply telling Good News Network that expressing such care and consideration for students was his job.
“I’m just doing my job at the end of the day. My role is to help nurture and educate children, and to take care of them,” the teacher said.
“I can’t believe how far it’s gotten. I never expected to do any of this, but it’s crucial that it doesn’t end here.”
This Deputy Headteacher walks five miles a day, delivering packed lunches to his pupils to make sure they still get a school dinner 🥪🚶🏻♂️👋🏻 pic.twitter.com/ulOH0qgVrK
— BBC East Yorks and Lincs (@looknorthBBC) April 7, 2020
If only more teachers could find it in their hearts to care first for those they serve, rather than themselves.
Now, that is not to say all, or even most, teachers are selfish or uncaring. Nor is it to say that all of them must get out there and hoof it from house to house carrying lunch for nearly 100 students.
It is, however, to say that teachers are in fact public servants — a title they were happy to claim at the outset of this pandemic, while businesses and left-wing establishment media personalities lumped them in with first responders and bestowed endless praise upon them.
And that would be all well and good, were they acting as such by putting the needs of those they serve first and foremost in their thoughts and actions.
Instead, however, many public school teachers across America are pitching a fit over the prospect of returning to the classroom as the pandemic drags on, threatening to go on strike if their demands for particularly excessive safety measures — and even progressive social justice — are not met by public school systems.
Greatly sensationalizing the transmission risk they face, these educators have even taken to the streets in protest, lugging around coffins to fearmonger about the supposedly devastating consequences America will face for reopening its public schools.
Heck, in districts that have caved to teachers union demands and planned for online schooling this fall, some educators have even expressed discontent over having to work full days facilitating virtual learning.
So, let’s just call this what it is: a bunch of college-educated elitists throwing a tantrum so they can get the rest of the year off.
They could apparently care less that their food-insecure students may be going hungry at home, or that those in abusive homes are no longer able to escape to the classroom as a safe haven.
But not Zane Powles. He cared so much about the potential for his students to fall through the cracks in this time that he took on extra work.
What on earth is in the water he’s drinking?
It would sure be nice to get some of that to our public servants.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
