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Katherine Forestier

Linda Yeung

The Chinese International School is bracing itself for sadness and shock from students and teachers when they return from their half-term break on Monday.

One teacher from the school is on the missing list in Bali following last weekend's bomb blasts. The school has announced on its Web site that Shane Walsh-Till remains unaccounted for following the terrorist attack.

In addition, Jamie Wellington, the son of CIS teacher Rob Wellington, is also missing.

Mr Walsh-Till was visiting Bali en route to an educational conference in Indonesia. He was travelling with his wife, Melanie Walsh-Till, also a teacher at CIS, and her sister. Both Mrs Walsh-Till and her sister have been safely accounted for.

Mr Walsh-Till joined CIS in August 2001. He taught geography to secondary students up to Year 11, as well as economics in the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme.

As co-ordinator of the IB Middle Years Programme, he has played a crucial role over the last 18 months in implementing curriculum enhancements, according to the announcement. He was also a homeroom teacher for Year Eight students, and acting head of Year Seven.

Mrs Walsh-Till, a PE teacher and a homeroom teacher for Year Nine, has returned to Australia where she awaits news of her husband. CIS science teacher Rob Wellington's son Jamie was a teacher at Jakarta International School. Jamie's wife and two children are safe.

The school will offer counselling to students and staff when the term resumes. Headmaster Richard Blumenthal and head of secondary school Dr Barry Drake said they would provide the care and support the school would need to deal with the tragedy.

'We are sure you will all join us in transmitting our most positive thoughts, good wishes and prayers to the Walsh-Till and Wellington families,' they said, stressing that the two missing men had not yet been identified among the dead.

The half-term holiday has meant that many international school teachers and families were in Bali last weekend.

The Australian International School's staff and students all returned safely on Tuesday from their half-term. But the school is shocked by the fate of the many Australians caught in the bombings and yesterday held a minute's silence for the dead and missing.

The English Schools Foundation's head office has spent much of the week trying to track down the 20 ESF teachers known to have gone there for the holiday. All have been located safely, except one woman now thought to have gone to Thailand instead.

But John Bohan, the ESF's acting chief executive, said schools could not be certain all staff were safe until Monday, because not all had made their travel plans known. Two parents of children in ESF schools are known to be injured, one with serious burns. Schools are being urged to be ready to offer counselling services to students and teachers, where necessary.

'We have had to deal with this as professionally as we can. Many teachers are football club members and many will be upset at the loss of their friends,' said Mr Bohan, referring to rugby team members known to be dead or missing.

Meanwhile, the foundation has stepped up its guidance to its member schools for security both in Hong Kong and for school trips abroad.

Principals were yesterday reminded to check country safety reports on government Web sites and to review the choice of destination right up to departure in case conditions changed.

The principal of South Island School, John Wray, has decided that a business and economics study trip to Subic Bay in the Philippines departing on Monday should go ahead.

Mr Bohan said the economic development zone they were to visit was a closed area and regarded as a safe destination. 'But the final decision rests with parents,' he said.

Schools are not being advised to cancel trips, but will be guided as to the type of destinations and activities that should be avoided.

Mr Bohan said Bali should be ruled out.



CIS mourns teacher in Bali blast