Obituary: Robert Bean

Robert Bean valued personal growth in all pupils.

Robert Bean, teacher, Died aged 86

Back in 1965, a teacher in his mid-forties called Robert Bean arrived as the new principal at a boys high school in Kelston, West Auckland.

The locals then knew Kelston Boys High School as an okay place, which started when the Kelston High School was split into boys' and girls' schools some years earlier. Aucklanders living farther afield were often not sure where Kelston was.

In a eulogy at Bob Bean's recent funeral service, Maurice Dean, a former deputy principal during Bob's 12-year tenure, described Kelston Boys High School in 1965 as "lacking in resource, reputation and achievement".

It is easy to say exam results improved after Bob Bean arrived and that sports teams started to climb out of the B and C grades. But it was more than that.

Bob Bean is credited with creating a culture of achievement in the school, introducing innovations that were uncommon in state schools. Bean certainly sought academic and sporting success. But he also had a basic concern for what he called the "personal growth of every boy".

Back in the 1960s he worried that the brightest Kelston boys were underachieving. He set out to challenge them with an accelerated bursary course covering forms five, six and seven.

The result was a dramatic increase in pass rates. Kelston boys started appearing on national scholarship lists. Maurice Dean says that after five years in 1970 about 75 per cent of seventh form pupils were awarded A or B university bursaries. More Kelston boys entered the professions.

Bob Bean observed upon retiring in 1976 that pupils would "beat a track through the jungle" to a good teacher. In his time, Kelston acquired numbers of skilled, motivated teachers including New Zealand national sporting representatives such as present Auckland Grammar head John Morris (soccer), Tony Steel (All Black, athletics), Dave Norris (athletics) and others with talents in music and other cultural interests.

But it was their boss who had most experience.

He was an Auckland Grammar boy who graduated BA and BCom at the University of Auckland with three years Air Force war service between qualifications. Before Kelston Boys he had already taught at Avondale College and the old Kelston High. He lectured at Auckland Teachers College, was a School Certificate examiner and an inspector of post-primary schools.

In sport he had coached rugby, cricket, swimming and shooting and was secretary of the Auckland Secondary Schools Athletic Association for 11 years. At Kelston he introduced a sports honours system. The number of sports also increased.

Within six years the school had enjoyed success in A-grade competitions for rugby, soccer and cricket.

There were other facets to Bob Bean's approach. For boys not academically inclined, he introduced a work experience scheme, credited with motivating less able students.

It included a balanced education, a full-time careers adviser and a day of work experience every week.

Bob Bean was also the driving force behind the Huia Outdoor Centre, opened in 1977 for use by both Kelston schools.

But his real legacy is that he gave many Kelston boys a sense of achievement, reputation and pride.

It is just as indicative of his attitude that before his death he signed off on a Bean family trust for Kelston Boys. It aims to award an annual scholarship to a boy who, because of economic circumstances, cannot either continue studies at Kelston or pursue tertiary education "whether a course of academic study or a trade-based qualification".

Bob Bean was predeceased by his first wife, Merle, whom he married in 1941.

He is survived by his second wife, Pat, and children Grant and Glenys.