Canadian International School row highlights the role parents can play in school governance
Anjali Hazari says conflict over the management of Canadian International School underlines the complexities of adapting to 21st century best practices, where diverse stakeholders are involved
Generally for teachers and parents, a school's board of governors is a nebulous entity disconnected from everyday teaching and learning. However, issues faced by the Canadian International School serve to highlight the complicated nature of school governance involving the founding members and school management.
Governance problems tend to be the reason some Southeast Asian schools are not accredited by the Council of International Schools, says Ian Clayton, head of the international section of the French International School.
Many international schools have a two-tiered system, in which inception began as a charitable foundation established by the founding members. Once registered under the Education Ordinance, a board of managers or a board of governors was required to run the school.
This two-tiered system allows major decisions to be ratified by the trustees who have an interest in the school, but it's an objective interest, with the "role" having authority, not the person.
The Canadian International School requires that the body of governors responsible for running the school be elected by founding members, existing members and ex-officio governors. As one ex-parent-governor noted: "In practice, [some founding members] are quite involved and meddlesome at the school."
This need to set boundaries was noted by the Council of International Schools, which suggested in its audit that "a clear distinction [be] made between the governance and operational aspects" of its affairs.
The moot question is, should parents have a place in school management?
