Headmaster Royds From Ian and Jill Duffiled

Dear Ken,

We are sorry to hear about the death of John Royds, a fine

schoolmaster and completely dedicated to his work as a headmaster.

In commemoration of him, we would like to share a particular memory

with you—and anyone else who studied or worked at the General Wingate

School, to whom you might care to forward this message. As you will> recall, while you, Jill and I were all young members of staff at the

Wingate School, John Royds inaugurated a new competitive scholarship

scheme. Applicants had to be recommended by primary schools anywhere

in Ethiopia and Eritrea and to sit the examination at the Wingate

School. The scholarships were to be awarded annually to the best

performing applicants (I can't remember now how many a year).


In the first ever round of examinations, two young small boys turned

up who were not expected. No primary school had nominated them but

somehow they had heard about the exams and scholarships. As their

family was very poor, they had walked hundreds of kilometres—in the

rainy season too—from a remate place far to the west of Addis Ababa

though still on the Ethiopian Plateau. John Royds was all for

established order and rules, when it came to the smooth running of

everyday school matters. His heart was touched by the very Ethiopian

enterprise, courage and sheer endurance of these two little boys, so

they were allowed to stay and sit the examination. A narrowly

rule-bound man would have sent them away. Even better, when one of the

boys earned a place by his exam performance but his brother failed to

make the grade, Mr Royds had the wisdom and humanity to admit both

brothers. I always strongly suspected that he personally paid the fees

of the brother who did not pass the entrance examination. A good

school must aim at academic excellence but also, as Royds certainly

understood, should give even higher priority to the practice and

fostering of the best human values.


We can, therefore, well understand how it is that so many former

Wingate students remember him with affection and respect and now feel

sorrow at his passing, to which we add our own requiescat in pace.


With warmest best wishes,

Ian & Jill Duffield