THE head of one of Manchester's toughest schools has been found dead at his home.
Michael Buczynski, principal at Parklands High School, Wythenshawe, was found hanging from the staircase of his Bury home by his 10-year-old son.
Paramedics called to the house in Trimingham Drive could not revive Mr Buczynski. Police confirmed the death is not being treated as suspicious.
Recently, the head had been on sick leave, believed to be suffering from a stress-related illness. The school will be closed on the day of his funeral, as a mark of respect.
Mr Buczynski, 50, had been headteacher at the school since it opened in 1999. And in 2001 Ofsted - in the only report on the school yet compiled by inspectors - praised the "tremendous progress" and described its leadership as "energetic, supportive and providing a clear sense of direction".
He was determined the new school should spell a new beginning for youngsters in Wythenshawe. And he was adamant that there should be an effective school in the heart of the community. His dedication to the school made him a popular figure among pupils and teachers.
Dynamic
A team from the education authority has moved in to the school to counsel shocked pupils.
A spokesman for the school said: "Michael was a dynamic and innovative leader and was held in high esteem by those who worked with him. He was totally committed to the education and welfare of the students.
"The school community and all who knew Michael send their heartfelt condolences to his family, particularly to his wife Anne and young son Jack."
Manchester's chief education officer Mick Waters said: "This has come as a great shock to all who knew Michael. We will all remember him as an enthusiastic headteacher who never hesitated to put young people's interests first."
John McNerney, headteacher at St Peter's RC High School, in Gorton, - which opened at the same time as Parklands - said: "I knew Michael as a wonderful person with a marvellous sense of humour who was dedicated to his work and to his family.
"He worked long hours and he worked incredibly hard." Last September, Mr Buczynski told the M.E.N. that he wanted to crack down on pupils missing school to go on holiday.
He called for a change in the law, which allows children to take up to 10 days a year away from school for a family holiday.
A file has been passed to the coroner in Bury and a post mortem examination carried out.
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MR BUCZYNSKI WAS THE BEST HEAD TEACHER A MANCHESTER SCHOOL COULD EVER WISH FOR.
mr b was a great head. he loved his job and loved working with the school kids
hi 2 all reading this msg i really think mr B was a g8 head teacher and i could hav a laugh with him i have known mr b for 5 years, he will be missed sadly r.i.p sir from ryan ?
mr buczynski was a great teacher. He always had time to help, he will be sadly missed by all. i was a pupil there for 5years and i really liked him. from michael conroy.
Hi i just wanted to say that mr B was the best headteacher that i have ever had and i will sadly miss him. I give my respect to all his family and friends. from emma kennedy
What a tragedy my thoughts go out to michaels family god bless you all . Michael sounds the sort of head teacher that every school could do with he will be sadly missed god bless you michael love julie & family x
all i can say is that mr b was a TOP head teacher and will sdalky be missed by friends and family R,I,P from ryan !!!!!!
A great loss. My heart goes out to his family.
mr b was a good head teacher all my love goes 2 his family x x x x
I was one of his pupil's at his previous school in Bolton and he was a dead good teacher.
He may have been to quote one poster: "a dead good teacher" but he was a bad father, What parent would commit suicide and have their ten year old son find them.
i was a pupil at parklands high school, n i thought mr B was a fab and understanding teacher, its a shame for his family school, and work collages as he will be missed all,
To Joey Pica, Ashton under Lyne. That is well out of order saying he was a bad father, when I assume you did not even know him.
Any person who gets to the point in their life when they feel that there is nothing less than suicide is surely not thinking rationally or they would not commit the act. Unless one has been in that position it must be hard to even imagine what is going on in their heads.
I doubt for one minute he killed himself in order that his son find him.
I hope you or your loved ones never find yourself in such a position.
My thoughts are for his son and family and all who knew him who will now go through how did we let this happen etc. Who knows what goes through the mind of someone intent on ending their life we dont know we are still here. There must be give away signs but we all miss them dont we thats the problem.
Thanks to all who are paying there repect to mr b and those people who are dissing him r very wrong and he was not a bad father cos i hav ment he's son he is well posh r.i.p mr b never 4 get ya from ryan !
Please just let mr b rest in peace now as he has the rest of his life to live in heaven with god and we will always be thinking of you from 4 formor pupils from parklands (ryan b, ryan w, emma k)
David Cotgrave i think you are well out of order people under pressure don't think before they act. So just let Mr B rest in peace. Emma Kennedy
In reply to Nigel,
What trauma do you think that 10 year old is going to have for the rest of his life? To have ones father die is bad enough but to find him dead in such circumstances must effect the lad even more. To commit suicide is the act of a desperate person granted, to do it in such a manner is totally selfish and must put into question his abilty as a human being and as a parent.
Ill never forgot the smile on his face when we brought the Manchester Schools FA Cup back to school. He had a real passion for anything and eveything in his life. I spent every morning in year 11 on report to him (for something i never did) and he was the nicest person i have ever met in a school. He's not the stereotype of a headteacher. He was much better than that. Rest In Peace Sir
how can people put him down like that no1 takes in 2 consideration wot e mite ov bin going thru i think dat people shud jus leave him in peace. and dat they should resspect im!!!! he was a gr8 head teacher 2 uz.
I agree with Mr Pica I'm afraid. It is a tragedy, but why is more not made of the selfish way in which this man totally disregarded his family. Suicide is the cowards way out. Most people have, at some point in their life, been very low, but to leave a family like this is, in my eyes, unforgivable. Were he my father, I would be decidedly more angry and resentful than upset. Mu thoughts go to his wife and family.
As a former Poundswick pupil and mother of a now Parklands pupil, I have seen first hand the changes inspired by Michael, and everything he did to make the school the success that it is today. It takes a great person to make so many changes for the good, and Michael was the kind of head that Parklands so desperately needed. My thoughts and sympathies go to his family, and also his colleagues and to the pupils as I am sure everyone feels a tremendous loss.
RIP Michael, you will be greatly missed by all who knew you, but will still be an inspiration to all the kids at Parklands, may they live up to your example....
and by doing so, your memory will live on in each and every one of them.
Goodnight Mr. B
from Jenni Freeman
i am a student at Parklands High school and I'd like to say that Mr.Buczynski was a fantastic headteacher. He always had our interests at heart. All who knew him will understand what I mean. He was always there to help if you had troubles and never let you down. I don't know how anyone can put him down.
Comisorations to little Jack and Mrs. Buczynski.
R.I.P sir, you deserve to rest now. You will be sadly be missed.
From Aviva Nelson 9A xxx
We are pupils at Parklands High School and found out bout Mr. B's death on Tuesday, we could tell that every pupil was shocked to hear such news about our head teacher. We're sure everyone will miss him, and the school probably wont ever be the same with out him.
Yes suicide is selfish, and yes it badly effects those that you leave behind, however depression or whatever he was suffering from can be a very serious illness, where all thoughts other than their ultimate death are not considered.To say that we have all been "low" at some point is true but how many of us have been truely suicidal?
Joe, i do feel very much for the son and his wife, and I can understand how his young lad must feel, something I would not wish on anyone.
My issue was regarding calling him a bad father. For the lads 10 years he may have been the best father in the world. That is not destroyed by one moment of sheer desperation.