By Charlie Charalambous
WITH feelings at the English School still running high over an allegedly rigged promotion, the row is now threatening to derail the start of term in September.
Staff, parents and old girls and boys have called for the school board to remove headmaster Thomas Thomas over what they see as his bullying tactics and favouritism towards certain teachers.
The promotion row has rumbled on since March and staff are still insisting that Thomas must go, even though the board has cleared him of any wrongdoing.
“There will be a head-on collision and an exceedingly difficult situation if the headmaster is still there on September 15,” an English School source told the Cyprus Mail yesterday.
To make matters worse, 16 of the 17 heads of department and two deputy heads have threatened to resign from their positions if Thomas is still at the helm come September.
Staff have already passed a vote of no confidence in Thomas by an overwhelming 59-3 in a secret ballot.
“If the resignations go ahead it will make the running of the school near impossible,” the source said.
Board chairman John Hadjiantonas agreed that there were problems, but believed they could be dealt with in due course.
“There are difficulties without doubt, and feelings are at play that perhaps influence future developments, but I’m of the view that if the dispute follows its normal course (arbitration), then I think we have a way of dealing with the situation,” Hadjiantonas told the Cyprus Mail.
The chairman denies reports that the school is ill-prepared for the new term and is facing a regime of chaos and disruption.
“Some of the information has been incorrect: we have filled vacant positions and there has been full co-operation from staff and heads of department.”
A ministerial committee, appointed to investigated the issue, is expected to submit its recommendations to the Council of Ministers tomorrow.
Informed sources say the committee could recommend that the board be replaced or that Thomas should go, irrespective of the fact he has only served two years of a five-year contract.
This would take into account the fact that both staff and parents told the committee that Thomas had to go.
“It is quite certain the headmaster will have to go eventually, and we regret he hasn’t taken the opportunity of leaving now,” a staff source said.
Schoolwatchers believe that if the government fails to grasp the thorny issue with both hands it will more than likely condemn the school to a vicious internal war, where students will be ultimate losers.
