Moreton Bay College: Parents angry over handling of elite school principal’s resignation
Angry fee-paying parents – who are slugged up to $16,492 a year – are demanding answers on the use of “their money” following the departure of the former head of two elite private schools.
QLD News
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ANGRY fee-paying parents are demanding answers on the use of “their money” by the board following the departure of the former head of two elite private schools.
The joint board of Moreton Bay College and Moreton Bay Boys College in Manly West has come under fire over its handling of the exit of James Sloman, who quit as executive principal on Friday.
Moreton Bay College principal James Sloman allegedly demanded money to resign
Moreton Bay College embattled principal James Sloman resigns
Parents have written to the board “seeking transparency”.
Meanwhile, a senior Uniting Church insider has told The Courier-Mail that the synod is considering spilling the board.
Mr Sloman, who lived on campus with his wife and two sons since his 2015 appointment, allegedly demanded more than $2 million or seven years’ salary to go as part of settlement negotiations.
He had been on extended leave since January following an independent probe into “inappropriate, intimidating and belittling” behaviour that began last August.
Mr Sloman denies the allegations.
One parent and former ‘old girl’ said: “We expect accountability. We are paying tens of thousands for our kids to be educated so we deserve to know where our hard-earned dollars might be going but instead we’ve been told nothing.
A father said he was “seeking transparency” so the schools could “move on and get back to the business of education”.
Since Mr Sloman’s departure, staff have called for the top job – tipped to be worth more than $400,000 a year – to be scrapped altogether.
One senior employee said the executive principal role was redundant as there were already respective heads of the girls’ and boys’ colleges, Janet Stewart and Andrew Holmes.
“A lot of us believe that position is not required and the dollars would be best spent elsewhere, “ the staffer said.
A former employee and parent said: “The board has lost so much respect over the way they have handled this, and everyone I’ve heard from sees zero value in that role and hopes they don’t replace him.
“Staff and parents are up in arms and demanding to know how much of our money has been (allegedly) paid out (to Mr Sloman) and feel the board should confirm or deny the figure.”
The board, chaired by lawyer Samantha O’Brien, and Mr Sloman have not responded to Courier-Mail requests for comment.
Mr Sloman previously has denied allegations of bullying behaviour and launched his own “stop-bullying” complaint against the colleges with the Fair Work Commission.
Annual fees at MBC and MBBC are from $8750 for Pre-Prep to $16,492 for Years 8-12 (girls) and $13,670 for Years 7-12 (boys).
Last year’s OP results dropped, with 18.8 per cent of eligible boys scoring an OP1-5, down from 41.4 per cent in 2018, and 31.3 per cent of eligible girls receiving an OP 1-5, against 34.8 per cent the previous year.