He set out to begin a school system for children who would otherwise have no education other than basic coaching in Arabic for Muslim prayers. After using his own funds to build the first school, Mr Hyde's chance connection with St Leonard's College, in Brighton, lead to a permanent arrangement for the school to sponsor and support a Bangladesh school - known as St Leonard's Five Doors, after the five sluice gates on the local canal. St Leonard's has now sponsored a second school. Mr Hyde's plan was to establish 14 schools, of which 11 are already built and operating. The funds come from St Leonard's, Trinity Grammar, Korowa Girls' Grammar, Beaconhills College, Pakenham, Ivanhoe Girls' Grammar and Lowther Hall Grammar.
Some children proceed to high schools, and a handful have gone on to professions.
Mr Hyde says education makes the children, as they grow older, more aware of the need for family planning in a country with a burgeoning population. The families of former pupils were often limited to three children, while others commonly had eight, he says. Mr Hyde is the only non-Bangladeshi involved, and keeps overheads to less than 1 per cent of total donations. I'm not there to bring them up to our standard in a generation - it can't be done. The Age Company Ltd 2000.