Dunedin schools remember Paris victim

Romain Dunet (front left) with pupils, including Sashika Hendry (top right), in his year 12 Bayfield High School French class in 2013. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Staff and pupils from Dunedin high schools are in shock after learning a teacher who recently worked in Dunedin was killed in the Paris terror attacks.

Romain Dunet, who worked as an assistant French teacher at five Dunedin high schools when visiting the city on a working holiday from France in 2013, was among those killed after gunmen stormed the Bataclan concert hall in the most deadly of Friday night's attacks.

Christine Gardner, who taught French with him at Bayfield High School but has since retired, said the people who got to know him at the schools where he taught - Bayfield High School, Otago Girls' High School, St Hilda's Collegiate, John McGlashan College and King's High School - were "in shock.''

"It is quite amazing to think that on this side of the world we had a connection with someone who had been killed.

''You don't expect that out of 129 [deaths] in a city the size of Paris ... to know somebody,'' Mrs Gardner said.

She said Mr Dunet was an enthusiastic teacher, who was well liked by his pupils and colleagues.

''He was very into music, theatre ... and had a zest for life.''

During his time as an assistant teacher in Dunedin he settled on teaching as a career and went back to France with the aim of becoming an English teacher. She believed he would have been aged 28 when he was killed.

''He had a lot of life ahead of him.''

Bayfield principal Judith Forbes said Mr Dunet made a good impression on his pupils.

''He was an absolutely lovely young man who formed an incredibly positive relationship with our students who were studying French,'' Mrs Forbes said.

After hearing of the Paris attacks, she had thought of him and his love of music, given the massacre at the concert hall.

''It certainly brings it all much closer to home ... It shows how incredibly connected the world is.''

One of Mr Dunet's former Bayfield pupils, Sashika Hendry (18), now a student at University Otago, said she learnt he was among those killed when she saw people posting their condolences on his Facebook page on Sunday morning (NZ time).

''It was pretty shocking. It made everything feel more real,'' she said.

She remembered him as a friendly teacher who loved sharing French music with her year 12 class.

''He just really wanted to help everyone and was pretty keen to get along with the kids and make French fun as well.''

King's High School French teacher Robyn Brooks said the news had hit her hard, especially given how young Mr Dunet was.

Pupils at King's thought he was ''cool'' and Mrs Brooks also remembered his love of music.

''He used to play guitar, he used to sing and I think he played the drums as well,'' Mrs Brooks said.

She believed he was living in Paris at the time of the attacks and was the middle child of three, with an older sister and a younger brother.

The French flag is flying at the Dunedin City Council, which is considering lighting one of its buildings in French colours.

The flag was flying yesterday on the mayor's balcony at the Civic Centre in the Octagon.

A spokeswoman said the council was also ''looking at lighting options for the Glenroy Auditorium'' in Harrop St.

Cities across the world have been lighting buildings in the French colours in a show of solidarity.