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“It was for the kids,” said a teacher who worked with him. “It was about education and for the children. I’m dumbfounded that he did what he did. I found him very pleasant. I knew what I wanted to achieve. Straighten things up, make it work properly.”
Another senior member of the community said the elders had “full faith in him” as the primary school’s chief executive. “He was wonderful. He was making some very big changes. We supported him and trusted his intelligence. We hoped he would come back.”
However, after he left, Train was frustrated by the school’s failure to continue implementing his reforms. He complained to the NSW Ombudsman and sent frequent and furious emails, often many in short periods, to senior NSW Department of Education bosses.
Over the course of two weeks in March, Train sent 16 emails to NSW Education Department Secretary Georgina Harrisson.
One person who saw some of the emails said it suggested fragile mental health. “They were pretty out there,” the person said. “His mental health deteriorated after Walgett.”
Train also reached out to Latham, who has repeatedly raised concerns about the issues facing Walgett Community College in parliament. “He came to me with complaints about the lack of support from the education department and the lack of action,” Latham told the Herald.
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Their concerns focused on teaching standards and the performance of teaching assistants at the school. “He left school very disappointed,” Latham said. “He said he was taking time to recover from the experience [at the school] and heart attack.”
Train’s frustration stemmed from his concern for students, said Latham, who thought the tone and frequency of the emails reflected his frustration. “His heart was in the right place.”
Latham last heard from him five or six months ago, and then he “fell off the radar,” she said.
In a statement, the NSW Department of Education offered its condolences to Queensland Police and the families and friends of those affected by the tragic incident in rural Queensland overnight.
“One of the deceased was a former Education NSW employee who had not worked in a NSW school since August 2021. He officially left our employment in March this year.
“Further counseling will be provided to the affected school today and for as long as staff and students need support.”
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