PTA in the dark over CBN’s new principal

Convent Bukit Nanas PTA only found out about the new head after she reported for duty.

PETALING JAYA: The Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) of SMK Convent Bukit Nanas (CBN) today said that it members were in the dark over the controversial appointment of the school’s new principal.

Zavirah Shaari’s appointment triggered concern among the school’s Old Girls’ Association and the Kuala Lumpur Catholic Archdiocese for contradicting the government’s maximum consultation policy.

Unlike her five predecessors, Zavirah was not included on the list of candidates submitted by the mission school authority to the Education Ministry.

The school authority also claimed that it was not officially informed of her appointment.

PTA chairman, Amiruddin Sahudi, told FMT that he had enquired as to who would be filling the vacant post during a PTA meeting two weeks ago. According to him, no one knew until Zavirah reported for duty a week later on Dec 7.

“I myself only found out on Tuesday when the PTA’s development bureau visited the school to check on a project,” he said. “They (bureau) informed me of her presence and Zavirah contacted me yesterday to set up a meeting.”

Amiruddin confirmed that the meeting had taken place earlier today but clarified that it was strictly on school matters. He also said that he was unaware of the concerns surrounding her appointment until FMT brought it to his attention.

“The PTA has always been advised to not get involved in the school’s administrative matters which are handled solely by the ministry,” he stated.

Maximum consultation

But another PTA committee member, who asked to remain anonymous, admitted that a few members had privately raised concerns over Zavirah’s appointment.

Unlike Amiruddin, he said that he had learnt of the appointment when the school’s senior assistant sent out an e-mail last week.

“We were completely in the dark before that,” he stated. “All I know of Zavirah is that she was the former principal of SMK Taman Melawati.”

When asked what the PTA’s concerns are, he said that they were similar to those of the Old Girls’ Association and archdiocese.

“First of course is the bypassing of the maximum consultation process,” he said. “Second is whether the Catholic symbols and school ethos will be compromised.”

The committee member added that the PTA will be monitoring the alumni’s handling of the matter and consult “certain people” before deciding if it should take any action.

On Tuesday, Archbishop Murphy Pakiam expressed his disappointment over the matter and said he had appealed to the Director-General of Education, Abdul Ghafar Mahmud, to reconsider this decision.

FMT had not received a response from Abdul Ghafar’s office at the time of publication.