Nine teachers fired at troubled HK Canadian Int'l School

Jane1983

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.


Source: Scmp

Jane1983

加拿大國際 突炒9教師

【本報訊】香港加拿大國際學校自去年中屢傳校政問題，不少家長及教師表達不滿校政及聘請現任校長Gregg Maloberti時欠透明度。今天是該校暑假前最後一個上課天，校方昨突解僱9名教師。有家長透露，有關教師曾就事件發聲，校方在課堂上突向教師派解僱信，包括任教11年的資深教師。

曾批評遴選校長
前校董會成員、3名子女先後在該校就讀的周小龍表示，校方昨突向有關教師派解僱信，部份是在教師上課時派發，學生見證教師拆信。周表示，該9名教師曾批評校方，他認為教師絕非因表現被解僱，校方亦無證據證明教師表現差，質疑校方秋後算賬。他表示，當年校長遴選委員並無清晰交代聘請Maloberti原因，而校董會新任主席華國威是校長遴選委員會成員，曾承認與Maloberti相識10多年，Maloberti最終以年薪約43萬美元（約333.4萬港元）獲聘，前校長年薪僅約30萬美元（約232.6萬港元），質疑私相授受。
該校發言人證實，已與9名教師終止合約但未有解釋，僅稱8月復課時會有足夠人手。Maloberti今年3月與傳媒茶敍時稱，去年12月僅12人因退休等而不續任，其餘會在新學年繼續任教。

Jane1983

Cndis的校政風波都搞咗好一段日子，這次炒咗9個老師，都是和前管理層有關連的。如果無也反彈，事件有機會告一段落。

poonseelai

原帖由 Jane1983 於 15-06-12 發表
Cndis的校政風波都搞咗好一段日子，這次炒咗9個老師，都是和前管理層有關連的。如果無也反彈，事件有機會告 ...

是否告一段落就未知，如上堂時派信屬實真好得人驚，管理層去咗邊？谮咗水？毫無尊重！

caa

poonseelai 發表於 15-6-12 09:29
是否告一段落就未知，如上堂時派信屬實真好得人驚，管理層去咗邊？谮咗水？毫無尊重！



  ...

Agree it's horrible to hand out dismissal letters in surprise and even in front of kids. Can't imagine this kind of nasty acts would happen in a school which is supposed to be loving caring and nurturing. What kind of value will be delivered to the kids by dismissing a teacher in public? If the news is accurate some teachers have worked for a decade!

FennieMan

上堂派信就真係唔尊重，炒老師因為容不下批評，呢個新校長都好小家

hksunshine

What is happening to this school ??

victoryu19

That's a terrible way of firing staff.  It may affect the students in a negative way too.

nintendo

The problem started since the hire of the new head.
I thought they would find a way to settle the matter since it was reported in both English and Chinese newspaper.
But looks like it is actually getting more and more ugly.

oneonemama

之前仲好想可以入到呢間學校添

HKTHK

There is no question that the HOS is not qualified for the position. Just look at his background. No international, no IB, minimal HOS (1 year?) experience. If you look around the schools in HK, there are much better and more qualified candidates. As a matter of fact, pick any HOS in HK and they are better candidates.

lui

原帖由 HKTHK 於 15-06-17 發表
There is no question that the HOS is not qualified for the position. Just look at his background. No ...

True. To my knowledge , there are quite some students to quit the school becoz of the recent action of the HOS.

hksunshine

very disappointing

Jane1983

香港加拿大國際學校進入校監獨裁時代
CDNIS by Ashley Kong | on June 16, 2015        

6月11日，香港加拿大國際學校解僱十名教師及一名校務職員。解僱程序非常突然，據稱許多被解僱的教師在上課途中遭職員推門而入打斷，在年幼的小學生面前接過大信封，並被保安護送走出課室，陪同回到辦公室收拾雜物，迅即送出校園。

校方解僱教師的消息迅速流傳開去，部份學生父母趕至校園聲援教師，校門外盡是憤慨的家長。這一年來，家長對校方施政積怨已久，示威行動早成家常便飯。

許多學生親眼目睹教師在保安護送下離開。其中一位趕到校園的家長表示：「校方不配『加拿大』這三個字。」不少在場家長語間對校方充滿怨懟，並指前任校監兼突尼西亞駐港榮譽領事黃自強〔Richard Wong〕，以及新任校董會主席兼《成報》執行董事華國威是罪魁禍首。

有謠言指，校方向受解僱教師提出在遣散費之上，再支付掩口費。本報曾嘗試訪問受解僱教師，但大部份教師尚在震驚之中未能回復。

校方秋後算帳
被解僱老師當中，包括在該校任教達十七年的資深教師——縱使多年來忠心服務學校，依然劫數難逃。有家長投訴孩子親眼目睹全程，造成心理陰影。總共十一名遭解僱的職員中，只有一名由於香港法律規定不得解僱孕婦，得以破例留下。科技部門的負責人早於是次事件發生一週前遭解僱。

許多家長指今次的集體解僱事件只是冰山一角，校方早有獨斷獨行的前科，是次事件遭解僱的教師均曾在校務會議中表達對校方行政的不滿。過去一年，該校曾捲入一連串行政風波，其中一次導致部份諮議會成員、校董、校長及職員集體辭職抗議。一連串事件顯示，校方解僱異己已是司空見慣。

在學年最後一天完結後，家長收到一封由校方發出的電郵，宣布最近的「人事調動」。該電郵無人署名，家長皆感詫異，因為校方發出的電郵向來會具體註明發件者或負責人。眾家長震怒下趕到位於黃竹坑的校園尋求校方解釋，卻吃了一大道閉門羹。

曾任校董的家長周小龍要求教育局採取行動：「校董會已多次做出損害學校利益的舉措，而教師們都太盡責了，拒絕罷工抗議。我希望教育局局長會展開調查並介入事件。」

行政混亂已久
香港加拿大國際學校由校董會管理，眾校董則由諮議會小圈子委任，諮議會成員包括創辦成員及卸任校董。這管理架構本來是為了有效監察校董而設，但由於諮議會任期不限，這架構反而變成諮議會獨裁的利器，利用委任權操控校董會施政。

早於2014年11月，五名校董及兩名諮議會成員集體辭職，抗議諮議會經常藉口把持大權，並要求改革管理架構，提高行政透明度。

去年就任的校長馬龍戈博士〔Dr Gregg Maloberti〕的獲聘過程亦備受詬病。上任校長辭職後，校內多方組成委員會甄選下任校長人選，校方管理層卻無視委員會，未經諮詢即聘用馬氏作為校長。據悉馬氏未有擔任校長的實際經驗〔曾履行校長職責，未正式擔任校長一職〕，新任校監華國威的子女曾於馬氏此前任職的美國學校就讀，當時馬氏是該美國學校的招生專家。周小龍質疑馬氏的資歷是否勝任校長一職：「馬氏從未任職校長，亦未有管理一所提供國際文憑課程〔IB〕的學校的經驗。教師們早就質詢過為何這個人會獲聘。」

本年春季，870名家長聯署要求馬龍戈校長辭職。

Jane1983

前途未卜
很多家長在面書上表示不滿，並準備安排他們的孩子轉校至本地其他國際學校如香港國際學校〔HKIS〕——也許這才正中校方下懷。根據月前加拿大報章The Globe and Mail報導，該報駐中國記者Nathan Vanderklippe引述當時的校監黃自強表示：「假如這些人的離開能起正面作用，那我並不介意。」

校方於2015年5月28日在網絡上，張貼招聘啟事，招攬「全職代課教師」。求職者只要持有本地教育文憑並有兩年教學經驗即符合聘用要求，無須具備加拿大或國際文憑課程的專業資格。該校每月學費高達$120000-$163000港幣〔未計入學校旅行、校車等雜費〕，家長擔心此舉會導致學校無法繼續提供高質素的加拿大或國際文憑教育，只換來貨不對辦的師資。

在行政方面，校方於上半年已作出承諾改善，諮議會亦委任了幾位新校董。與此同時，亦有流言指許多校董不滿校方突然解僱多位教師，本報從其中一位校董處得悉是次解僱全屬管理層決定，其他校董拒絕回應，部份校董甚至一聽見媒體訪問馬上掛線。

部份失望之至的家長已經安排子女轉校，亦有其他教師及職員意興闌珊地辭職，這所成立已二十四年的國際學校前程相當曖昧不明。



利益申報：

本報總編輯韋漢忠兼任香港加拿大會會長，香港加拿大會在該校校董會中持有非官守成員兩席，去年11月聯同數位校董及諮議會成員集體辭職。

poonseelai

CDNIS' application to be a member of Council of International School ("CIS") had been shelved when the primary principal was asked to take leave during CIS' visit.  Will its IB accreditation be affected if it does not have enough experienced IB teachers?

lovecasey

The VP is gone too....

HKTHK

大公報

加拿大國際校憂外在勢力侵校

大公報訊】  實習記者高俊謙報道：位於香港仔的加拿大國際學校接連傳出人事糾紛，校長馬龍戈（Gregg Maloberte）和校董會主席透露，多個外國駐港領事曾多次插手學校內務，質疑有外在勢力入侵校園。
　　    加拿大國際學校由一批迴流港人創辦，為民辦學校。據報道，自前任校長Dave McMaster離職後，校內部分教職員、家長與校方的關係急速惡化。現任校長馬龍戈、校董黃自強和李家傑昨日接受大公報專訪時透露，加拿大駐港總領事柏伊恩（Ian Burchett）去年11月4日以知會方式要求校方舉行校董會會議，會上交出Dave的文件和一封聲稱來自馬龍戈但沒有簽署的信，表示支持“改革”校政。李家傑又説，柏伊恩在會上向校董會表示，七名校董、兩名校董會管理委員會委員辭職。不久，當時的校董會主席廖達賢也辭去職務。
　　
    身兼校董會主席的黃自強表示，加拿大憲法不容許領事館以公職身份參與學校事務，加拿大駐港領事館卻多次要求出席該校校董會，又要求更換去年八月才上任的馬龍戈。他透露，有子女就讀該學校的新西蘭總領事Gabrielle Rush，曾以官方身份邀請自己與他、美國、歐盟駐港代表和柏伊恩會面，初時拒絕透露會面的原因，只表示與學校的事情有關。
　　
    最終，黃自強及校長馬龍戈於4月27日與四名駐港外交官在律師樓會面。黃自強表示，除柏伊恩外，其餘三名都是該校的家長，但會上四人以官方身份出席，説法也與支持“改革”校政的家長一致，因此質疑他們是否意圖控制該校。
　　
    本學年共25教師離職
    黃自強續透露，曾出席該次會議的美國駐港代表俞天睦（Tom Cooney）向校方發出一封電郵，表示兒子退學，隨後又以官方身份告知校方，美國領事館會在推薦名單上剔除加拿大國際學校，信末亦以公職身份簽署。黃自言對此事“百思不得其解”，強調改革校政、學生退學屬學校內務，領事館不應介入，他憂慮是否有外在勢力入侵校園。

    對於傳媒報道該校九名教師在本學期最後一天被辭退，馬龍戈解釋，該校本學年共25名教師離職，流失率為15.5%，與過去四年的平均數13.6%相若，不認為近來的糾紛導致大量教師流失。他表示，校方將於新學年推出計劃，讓持份者可以參與建立學校的使命和目標，也會向校內組織發放準確的資訊，以重整教職員、家長與校方的關係。