Back to school: David Baird on coming out of retirement to take the helm at Canadian International School

David Baird was appointed interim head at the Canadian International School of Hong Kong in August, after a troubled couple of years in which it endured reports of infighting among staff and numerous teacher sackings. The 60-year-old veteran headmaster, who lives with his wife close to the school in Aberdeen, came out of retirement to take up the position on a two-year contract. He has previously worked at schools in his native Canada, before stints in Swaziland, Vietnam, Thailand and mainland China. He spoke to City Weekend about healing professional wounds, efforts to support young people’s mental health, and how a combination of Canadian and Hong Kong values benefits his students.

Why did you decide to accept the position as interim head?

I had retired, bought a house, started fixing it up, and also got a skipper’s licence, but I thought, is this what retirement is about? So I thought I would start looking around. I had met a teacher years ago in Uganda who had done six interim headships. I did not make an exact plan for what I was going to do for the next 15 years, but I thought I would like to do that someday: go around and immerse myself in a school, get it going, then go to another one. I liked the idea of the challenge.

Your school has been through a difficult period in the last few years in terms of staff changes. what’s your perspective on that?

The first thing I did when I came here was to listen without judgment. It is always easier being a historian looking back on an event. I think people needed to talk about what happened here; parents and teachers. The past is the past and you have to look forward. Like all organisations, there are bumps in the road. All of the building blocks for excellence are here. Everyone is feeling good. We are making a lot of changes. I spend a lot of time talking to parents about what they think the school needs.