Nine teachers fired at troubled Hong Kong Canadian International School

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Nine teachers fired at troubled Hong Kong Canadian International School

Those dismissed in the wake of governance row included the wives of former school chiefs who either resigned or were fired late last year

PUBLISHED : Friday, 12 June, 2015, 3:06am
UPDATED : Friday, 12 June, 2015, 3:06am

Danny Lee and Shirley Zhao

There was uncertainty as the school term ended. Photo: K. Y. Cheng

Nine teachers were abruptly dismissed by the Canadian International School at the end of term yesterday, including three wives of former school chiefs who were either fired or resigned.

Sources at the school confirmed the dismissed teachers included Ellen Manson, wife of recently fired primary section principal Dylan Hughes, Shelley McMaster, wife of former headmaster Dave McMaster, and Joanne Jalsevac, wife of former upper school principal John Jalsevac. The husbands of all three left in acrimonious circumstances late last year.

Patricia Bilden, a parent and school governor for six years until 2011, said: "I've never seen this happen before. This is unthinkable that this is happening, from a parent's perspective and a governor's perspective."

Melanie Hnetka, a school spokeswoman, confirmed the nine "staff changes" yesterday afternoon. "The school will be fully staffed with qualified teachers when classes resume in August. In accordance with our [human resources] policy, the school will not comment on individual personnel matters."

When asked by the Post to explain why the teachers were dismissed, she declined to comment. She also said head teacher Dr Gregg Maloberti was not available for interview.

A governance row erupted after the sacking of two teachers and the resignation last year of several governors, who cited "inappropriate interference" from the ex-chairman of the board.

The school's current board chairman, Richard Wong Che-keung, said he could not comment on whether the dismissals had been discussed by the board beforehand. He said this was an internal operational matter for the school. When asked if he knew the reasons for the firings, Wong said: "I'm not very sure." He said the decision was made by the administrators.

A current governor at the school, who requested anonymity, said: "I'm pointing the finger at some of the teachers and a number of parents who have really divided the school with really poor consequences.

"I think it's pretty clear from all the upheavals that we have seen at the school in the last 12 months that it was pretty obvious from the head of school and the senior administrators that some teachers had to be let go that were completely out of bounds."

A parent, speaking anonymously, said she was informed of the dismissals yesterday afternoon and felt they were "quite sudden".

An eighth-grade student, who feared punishment for speaking publicly, said: "So many people were crying. They were not small tears, they were really emotional. Honestly, I am going to be worried what the school will be like next year."

A parent of an 11th-grade student who withdrew her child from the school said the sackings proved "it wasn't going to be a stable place" for her son, who will move to Hong Kong International School later this year.