Banksy leaves mural for British school kids; janitor nearly removes it

Elusive street artist Banksy’s artwork normally touches on social and political issues, but the world famous artist recently took a break from his normal subject matter to thank a group of British schoolchildren for naming a building in his honour.

Students at Bridge Farm Primary in Bristol, England, were surprised to find a large mural, signed by Banksy, on the side of their school when they returned from their half-term break Monday.

The mural, which depicts a child chasing after a burning tire, was accompanied by a note that read, “Remember — it’s always easier to get forgiveness than permission.” A spokesperson for the artist, whose identity remains a mystery, confirmed to the BBC that the artwork is authentic.

According to the BBC, Bridge Farm Primary named one of the school houses after the artist thanks to a suggestion from a seven-year-old student named Charlie. The student later wrote to Banksy to tell him the news.

And while the school plans to keep the mural intact, it was nearly removed by the school’s janitor.

According to BBC reporter Jon Kay, the school’s caretaker initially thought the mural was the work of vandals and nearly removed it before finding Banksy’s note.

Over the last year, the majority of Banksy’s work has featured some sort of social commentary. In August 2015, the artist opened Dismaland — “a festival of art, amusements and entry level anarchism.” The park, located in England, was designed as a reminder that “life isn’t always a fairytale.”

READ MORE: Is this the unhappiest place on Earth? Banksy unveils ‘Dismaland’

In December 2015, he tried to underscore the potential of migrants by depicting the late Steve Jobs — whose biological father was from Syria — carrying a black garbage bag and an early model of the Macintosh computer on a wall in a refugee camp in Calais, France.

Then, in January, Banksy took a swipe at French authorities for their handling of the migrant crisis in Calais by placing a drawing of the child featured on posters for the musical Les Miserables surrounded by tear gas.

While Banksy’s schoolyard mural appears to serve as a thank you to the children he’s inspired, some believe the artwork may have a hidden message.

“Childlike scribbles of little girl and a lone flower in a schoolyard border a flaming tire, which could represent anything from the environment to the corrupt global political systems the children of Bridge Farm Primary will inherit soon enough,” read an article by Vice’s The Creators Project.