In 1939, William Franklin, a veteran of the Spanish Civil War, becomes the first lay teacher at a strict Catholic school for troubled boys. Despite the academic challenges, he earns the trust and respect of the students, particularly class rebel Liam, through his kindness and patience. However, the school's strict prefect, Brother John, administers cruel and humiliating punishments, and even the gentle Father Damian is powerless against the bishop's disciplinary mandate. As Franklin dares to challenge the prefect's brutal behavior, tensions rise, and the students are subjected to harsh punishments, including public flogging and sodomy. Meanwhile, a nativity stall project brings the class together, but the prefect's abuse continues, leaving Franklin to confront the darkness at the school.
Song for a Raggy Boy
A courageous teacher's stand against a brutal prefect's abuse and mistreatment in a Catholic school in 1939 Ireland.
