ABSTRACT

This chapter is concerned with depicting the school ethos but to some the suggestion of a school ethos might involve undue reification. Nevertheless, philosophies are carried and articulated by individuals and although it would be inappropriate to identify the school ethos as synonymous with the perspective of the headmaster, that his views greatly influenced the practices of all the teachers could not be denied. It is proposed, therefore, to summarize the substance of two interviews with Mr McIntosh, the headmaster, using extensive quotations from the transcripts. However, the data found in these interviews do not speak for themselves. From an analytical standpoint, however, the researchers were particularly interested in the extent to which his perspective revealed any logical inconsistencies, internal contradictions or ambiguities, not in order to depict a man confused, but because their developing analysis of the situation had suggested that given certain pressures on him some inner contradictions and ambiguities would be inevitable.