The Canadian International School of Hong Kong has been in the limelight in recent months, as a dispute over the school’s leadership has turned into a major power struggle most uncharacteristic of Canuck traditions.
Parents whose children are enrolled in the school want the head, Gregg Maloberti, removed.
They accuse him of firing of both the principal of the primary school, Dylan Hughes, and deputy, Kathy Nutting, over fears they might speak out against management as the school vies for global accreditation.
In a recent survey, 870 parents called for Maloberti’s resignation, as did 114 of 118 teachers who entered no-confidence vote on his ability to lead the institution. There are 156 teachers at the school in total.
The school’s board, however, likes Maloberti.
Efforts to mediate the issue have so far been unsuccessful, often ending in name-calling and finger pointing. The parents have even been accused of staging a coup.
In recent months the school has lost four staff members and seven board members, all of whom were either fired or resigned.
In an attempt to quell the unwanted publicity, the school has resorted to beefing up security and hiring external counselors and lawyers to deal with the mess.
A founding partner of Ernst & Young in Hong Kong, John Crawford, has helped the school gain prominence over its 24 years.
He told The Globe and Mail that the current situation is “very un-Canadian”, adding that the fiasco is one of the worst he’s ever faced.
Many parents are said to be mulling whether or not to pull their kids out of the school to distance themselves from the upheaval, while Canadian elites in Hong Kong (such as executives for Manulife and RBC, whose kids automatically get a place at the school if they can pass the required exam) are sucked into the melee.
Some executives have reportedly been exercising their corporate clout in an attempt to blackmail board members into resigning. Others have been using their professional influence to dig up dirt on their opponents.
Although it is not possible for the school to simply kick out students so they can get rid of their parents, founding board chair Richard Wong said that the school would be better off if some parents were no longer in the mix.
Photo: Wikimedia
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