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"If we do not comply with [the council's] recommendations … the school will not achieve accreditation," Dave McMaster wrote.

Former top Hong Kong school head accuses governors of 'interference'

Canadian International School's former head accused chairman of governors of creating a 'hostile environment', leaked letter shows

The former head of a prestigious international school faced a "consistent pattern" of interference from the chairman of the school governors and an "increasingly hostile environment" that led him to tender his resignation last year, a leaked letter seen by the shows.

The head, Dave McMaster, and two other senior staff agreed to stay on at the Canadian International School after chairman of governors Kennedy Liu promised to retire and cease his involvement in management issues, the letter says. But Liu was re-elected to the chairmanship in June this year and McMaster departed at the end of his contract in the summer.

Details of the conflict at the Aberdeen school are revealed in a letter from McMaster to the school's board, dated October 15 and marked "strictly private and confidential". It came to light as five board members quit this week after the board rejected their request that Liu leave.

Liu, PricewaterhouseCoopers partner, yesterday said he did not interfere and that McMaster's points were not justified.

In the letter, McMaster says Liu, who was elected chairman of the board in May 2012, created an "increasingly hostile environment". He submitted his resignation in November last year along with the principals of the primary and secondary schools.

The three withdrew their resignations only after the board offered a confidential agreement that Liu would go. But, McMaster writes, that was rendered "null and void" when Liu was re-elected in June. Secondary school principal John Jalsevac also left in the summer; primary principal Dylan Hughes is still serving.

McMaster wrote of Liu's "consistent pattern" of interference, including intimidating staff by threatening to cut bonuses and ignoring hiring procedures, among other matters.

One row centred on the school's attempt to gain accreditation from the Council of International Schools, a global organisation that sets standards for international education. Liu threatened to withdraw from the process if an assessment by the council, which called on the school to restructure its board of governors to improve clarity and transparency, was circulated to staff, parents and pupils.

"In my opinion, if we do not comply with [the council's] recommendations … the school will not achieve accreditation," McMaster wrote.

But Liu told the by email that he remained "fully supportive" of the accreditation process. To date, the school has not been accredited.

McMaster also accused Liu of pushing teachers to get a higher proportion of pupils into universities. He said the pressure led three of the secondary school's five counsellors to resign within two months last year. One of those who left was nominated for the Canadian Prime Minister's Award for Teaching Excellence before moving to Hong Kong.

The school's parents' association wrote to the governors on Thursday, demanding a timeline to implement the reforms recommended by the council.

Liu said the board had received the call for reform and was working to address the concerns.

A school spokeswoman expressed regret over the resignations of the governors and said new head, Gregg Maloberti, was working well with the governors.

The school has 1,845 pupils and says on its website it has a 100 per cent success rate in getting graduates into higher education.

 

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: 'Interference' row at top school
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