A killing beyond comprehension

Yet that did nothing to dispel the sense of horror at the events that took place at Corpus Christi Catholic College in Leeds and the circumstances that led to the first murder of a teacher at the hands of a student in a British classroom.

As the harrowing details of the killing were laid bare it became abundantly clear that three families have been torn asunder by this horrific act.

Ann Maguire’s husband Don wept as tributes from her pupils were played to the courtroom, remembering the inspirational figure whose motto was “You can never put a limit on a child’s potential”. He and his family have shown tremendous dignity throughout this waking nightmare.

The impact on the school “family”, of which she was seen as the maternal figure at both its head and its heart, has also been immeasurable, with the school still coming to terms with their loss.

Such was her dedication that, on the day she was killed, Mrs Maguire had gone into the school on her day off to help pupils prepare for their forthcoming exams.

It is to the credit of the school’s leadership team that they have sought to carry on, as their cherished colleague would surely have wanted, reopening the day after her death and closing the gates only once more so that all could attend her memorial service.

There must also, however, be sympathy for the family of her killer. It is clear that they are as dumbfounded as anyone that an “amicable, enthusiastic and conscientious” boy could turn into a troubled teenager who made a conscious decision to commit murder. It is doubtful that anyone will ever truly know why he took the life of a wife, mother and inspirational teacher who embodied the very best qualities of her profession.

Elected mayors

Public will need convincing

FEW would argue with the decision to take the first steps toward greater devolution for the North. The Scottish referendum let the genie out of the bottle and that momentum must now be harnessed in order to rebalance England’s economy.

Where views may diverge however, is the means by which to achieve what George Osborne has dubbed the “Northern Powerhouse”.

The Chancellor sees the installation of elected “metro mayors” in city regions as the key to allowing the North to become an economic equal to London.

Yet this is at odds with what the people of those regions have repeatedly told the Government through the democratic process.

Two years ago, nine out of 10 cities which were given the choice of having an elected mayor voted against the idea, Leeds, Bradford, Sheffield and Wakefield being among them.

In overriding public opinion in such a way, George Osborne must be conscious of the potential pitfalls of his mayoral model – not least given the failed experiment of police and crime commissioners, a position which he has sensibly said will now be scrapped.

While there is undoubtedly a consensus that the North deserves a greater say on key issues such as infrastructure and spending, another tier of bureaucracy is not at the top of many people’s wish lists.

If the public are to buy into the idea of directly elected mayors then they must be confident that they will have significant powers and access to considerable budgets that will streamline existing layers of local government rather than simply adding to them at the taxpayer’s expense.

Caught in the web

Is reliance on internet healthy?

IF there were any more proof needed of the degree to which we have come to depend on the internet it is provided in the fact that it now tops a list of modern-day essentials that Britons have said they cannot do without.

Is this level of reliance healthy? Or does it, in too many cases, tips over into an addiction?

For instance, just under half of those polled in the survey said they could comfortably go longer without seeing their family than going online.

For those who worry that the internet has contributed to a weakening of the social fabric that binds us together, with people increasingly preferring to communicate electronically rather than face to face, this will come as no surprise.

There can be no doubt that the internet has enriched our lives, but it is important that we remain its masters, rather than becoming its slaves.