Ditch principal, say 870 parents in Canadian International School petition

Close to 900 parents of children attending the Canadian International School in Wong Chuk Hang have signed a petition calling for its principal to step down, the latest twist in a row over the governance of the school.

The petition, demanding the board of governors remove Dr Gregg Maloberti, accrued 870 signatures in a month.

This came after a manpower shake-up with the controversial sacking of primary school principal Dylan Hughes and his deputy Kathy Nutting - who had spoken out against the management - last month, a decision that outraged many parents and teachers already concerned about the running of the school.

Maloberti's appointment in August and decisions since then have caused controversy in the school community.

According to organisers, the signatures represent roughly half of the 1,269 families with children at the school. The petition was handed in to the school and the board of governors on Tuesday.

"I think we can all agree that [the appointment of Maloberti] hasn't worked out," said Morgan Parker, one of the parents. "Why would a man continue to stay in his job when he has hundreds of people voting against him? It's extremely frustrating."

Parker said that if a company CEO faced so much opposition, the firm would provide an incentive for the executive to leave. He believed the school should do the same in this case.