Alan Stone, teacher from hell
Alan Stone was a minor character in Home And Away in 1990. For a short while, he was a teacher at Summer Bay High School but quickly became unpopular. Spiteful and with teaching ideas that belonged in the dark ages, he notoriously brought caning back as a disciplinary method. Alan was played by the late Phillip Hinton.
Backstory[]
Now in his late forties, Stone was an experienced teacher. He also had written a well-regarded maths textbook. And so, when he was transferred to Summer Bay High School it looked like they were getting a top-notch teacher.
1990[]
Stone soon proved to be a man with issues. As well as having a drinking problem, he wasn't very good around people. He quickly made it clear that he intended to rule by fear. He made a pass at old friend Jennifer Atkinson, cousin of Alf Stewart but she rebuffed his advances.
Stone brought back caning as a means of discipline in the school. He took a real dislike to Blake Dean in particular and didn't waste any time using the cane on him. Blake wasn't the only student to take a real dislike to Stone. Steven Matheson vandalised the caravan Stone was renting at the Caravan Park but Blake got the blame for it. Stone disliked Blake's sister Karen as well but he became particularly obsessed with getting one over on Blake. He later admitted to colleague Grant Mitchell that he didn't know how to teach young people any more and didn't feel he could connect with them.
Stone hits the bottle after his manuscript is rejected
Things took a turn for the worst when Stone got the news that his manuscript for a new maths book had been turned down. Wallowing in self-pity, he took the afternoon off from school and got stinking drunk in his caravan. Wanting to buy some more booze, he visited to Alf's shop and got in to an unprovoked row with Karen. Alf heard Stone's threats to Karen (Episode 659) and made it his business to tell Donald Fisher. The next day, Stone lost his temper with Karen during a school exam and that was the beginning of the end for him. Donald Fisher, who by now had been brought up to speed, told Stone that the department had agreed to transfer him to another school. Stone left on the spot but not before criticising Donald, Summer Bay and the school.
Memorable info[]
Stone had previously written a well-regarded maths textbook.
Appearances[]
1990