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GreekReporter.comAustraliaAnthony Samios, Teacher at St. Laurence College Awarded Australian Bravery Decoration

Anthony Samios, Teacher at St. Laurence College Awarded Australian Bravery Decoration

Anthony Samios, a teacher at St Laurence College, Brisbane has been awarded an Australian Bravery Decoration. The award, given by the Governor General, recognises acts of bravery by those who put themselves in harm’s way to protect others.

The incident took place in July 2007. During lunch, two groups of youths entered the school grounds. One group armed with a meat cleaver approached students in the playground. Two teachers verbally challenged the youths, but one of the young boys swung the meat cleaver injuring a year nine student in the face. As the injured boy’s friends ran for safety, the attacker stabbed another in the back. The assailants then tried to escape, pursued by the teachers, while a third member of staff took the injured to safety.

At this point, Samios became involved. “I saw a trail of blood leading into the office. I went down to check on the year tens and I saw four youths. They were in hooded gear, it was obvious they weren’t students. One of them had quite a big knife. I called out to them and a colleague joined me,” he stated.

“I just focused on the knife. I was trying to be calm, because as we were monitoring them, nearby students who had been asked to go to a central area for safety were saying ‘what’s going on?’ My biggest concern was that I didn’t want the armed group grabbing any of these boys,” he added.

When police arrived, the attackers were already gone off school grounds.

“The two boys who were injured were in my year,” said Samios, who has taught at the college for nearly thirty years. “You just do your job. You’re here to protect the boys, that was first and foremost in my mind. I’m honoured to have the award, but the two boys who were injured, I consider them to be very brave.”

Fellow teachers Andrew Kendall, Chris Oakes, Michael Sharkey and Edward Wallace will also receive the Bravery Decoration.

(Source: neoskosmos)

 

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