Controversy has again engulfed one of Australia’s most elite private schools, The King’s School, as headmaster Tony George goes on leave. Michael West reports.
The official line from The King’s School is that its headmaster Tony George has taken two week’s leave to recover from “shingles”.
The unofficial line, spreading like wildfire through the school community, is that George “clipped a boy over the ears” during a Religious Education class and has taken leave amid rising discontent over the headmaster’s stewardship of the school.
Questions about the incident have been put to King’s. MWM will publish any response forthcoming.
A question of ‘free will’
According to one senior source in the King’s community: “A Year 11 student was struck on the back of the head by the headmaster Tony George during a Faith Forum class in the Futter Hall in the closing week of Term 2.
“This occurred after the boy had asked the Headmaster a challenging question about theology (said to concern the issue of ‘free will’). Both staff and boys are said to have been shocked at the incident. There is confirmation by senior staff that the Headmaster descended from the stage to ‘clip the boy over the ear’.
The incident has been confirmed by MWM after speaking to a number of Old Boys, former staff and members of the school community. Although a ‘clip over the ear’ by teachers is not regarded as a serious incident by many in the independent school tradition, this incident comes at a time of concern about Tony George’s stewardship of the school.
George has put many parents, staff and old boys offside over his personal style. Although praised as a brilliant rhetorician, an ‘impressive public speaker’, George is often criticised for his brusque inter-personal skills and ‘anger management’ issues.
The King’s School Council – dominated by Anglican Clergy who back headmaster Tony George
The exodus of senior staff – including two bursars – in recent years reflects the disenchantment over his management. “He does seem to have a lot in common with Mr Trump,” said one senior source. The attitude is ‘my way or the highway … and he tends to deal with some situations with a flare of anger rather than being detached”.
The Headmagisterial Plunge Pool
There has also been criticism over extravagant spending; the most notable incidents are George’s endeavours to install a ‘plunge pool’ at the headmaster’s residence and his flying Business Class to attend the Henley Regatta in the UK. Sources said he had originally sought to fly First Class. The King’s rowing team was represented at the event but there was pushback over the cost of the airfares.
Following media coverage last year over elitism and misogyny in leading Australian private schools, Tony George went on what some described as a ‘rant’ about “toxic masculinity”, “cancel culture” and “wokeness” in the media.
“Toxic masculinity has become a memetic cliche of progressive extremism,” he said. “Unfortunately, genuine critical reflection and action has given way to movements of cancel culture.
“For example, ‘wokeness,’ initially a call for heightened awareness and sensitivity to social and racial injustices, has evolved into a broader social movement of complaint and victimhood.”
Governance issues and Covid
The King’s School is the oldest independent school in Australia. It’s 2,000 students span three campuses: the 320-acre senior school at Parramatta, Gowan Brae Prep School and Tudor House at Moss Vale in the Southern Highlands.
Fees were raised last year by 5% to $43,560 for senior day school, per student, while boarding house fees are tens of thousands on top.
George has been a controversial figure since 2017 when the school Council opted for his appointment over Andrew Parry, a popular and accomplished sports teacher and old boy.
Since then, George’s personal style, along with a series of incidents involving animal cruelty by students, extravagant spending and financial management issues have drawn criticism from within and without the school community.
During Covid, George invited criticism due to his decision not to enforce the mask mandate – and the school claimed $8m in JobKeeper subsidies despite delivering a surplus without the subsidy, largely due to its high school fees.
The issue of contention now is that Tony George is seeking to be re-appointed for at least another five years. “He wants to be there for the Bicentenary celebrations in 2032,” said one leading figure in the school community. “The problem lies with governance, the dominance of the (Sydney Diocese Anglican) clergy on the school Council”.
A Big Business
King’s is big business. Its latest accounts for the year to December 2024 – filed with the ACNC – record annual revenue of almost $118m and a surplus (profit) of almost $4m (from $7m previously).
The school has cash and liquids on its balance sheet of more than $17m and has disclosed more than $17m in government grants and incentives for the past year.
It is therefore, like other wealthy private schools, subsidised by government and, as a not-for-profit entity, pays no income tax.
Unlike other big businesses however King’s corporate governance is arcane. The Council, which is the governing body which presides over financial management and the appointment of headmasters, is dominated by Anglican clergy. As a group, both ordained clergy and lay councillors, back Tony George.
“There is concern over governance,” one source close to the Council told MWM. “At a time when the influence of the Church is in decline generally, they seem determined to entrench their influence in governance of the school”.
Sources told MWM, the Old Boys’ Union appointees however are not believed to be as keen to have George appointed for another long stretch. And the ‘clip over the ears’ incident is likely to undermine his case for reappointment.
Michael West established Michael West Media in 2016 to focus on journalism of high public interest, particularly the rising power of corporations over democracy. West was formerly a journalist and editor with Fairfax newspapers, a columnist for News Corp and even, once, a stockbroker.