Job Discussion Forums

[Brooks]

what would you say?
Does it depend on whether the school is public or private?
There can be vice-principals but can there be vice-headmasters?

I am American, so I would say principal.

[fat_chris]

One of my favorite English words is the female version of "headmaster."

The first time I heard that word, this was my reaction:



and then:

[ls650]

[FGT]

I can't imagine the reaction to the job "vice headmistress" then, perhaps that's why we'd say "deputy headmaster'mistress/teacher". My feeling is that headmaster/mistress is somewhat old-fashioned, more common to say headteacher (other than in the really posh public schools, maybe). PS "public schools" in Britain are NOT the same as "state schools", they are the old, established fee paying schools like Eton, where Princes William and Harry went.

[R]

One of the things that used to grate on me about being at private school was having to call all of the teachers 'master'. "Yes master" "Where's the master?" It was like being trapped in an episode of Dr. Who...

God knows why, but 'private school' and 'public school' mean the same thing in England.

[Brooks]

today a Japanese teacher asked me what the new principal should be called. And on the business card it had the teacher`s name with the word headmaster. My school has an exchange program with a private school in Adeleide and there, they say headmaster.

[grahamb]

When I was at the local academy, the boss was the Rector. On the other side of town they built another secondary school and called it the High School. It's run by a Principal.
I've always wondered what made high schools "high." The swinging 60s, perhaps?

[shmooj]

Both headmaster and headmistress would be frowned upon quite seriously in the state system in the UK now. Instead, we simply say "the head" or "the headteacher" which will always sound wierd to me.

[Gordon]

I would never think that the "headteacher" would equate to a principal. I think a headteacher is someone who teaches and who other teachers would go to for help, not someone in management.

[steampig]

Traditionally, the headmaster/teacher was in fact still a working teacher, who taught a minimal timetable combining it with administrative duties. Thus, the name headmaster was appropriate. I think in modern schools this is no longer the case and therefore the American term principal may be more appropriate as it differentiates the job from that of the teachers. Also, it avoids any hint of sexism as in the master/mistress forms. Personally, if I were a woman I think it would be pretty wonderful to be a headmistress, but there you go.

[fat_chris]

[Dr.J]

heh heh what about vice headmistress? Filthy!

If it was my school I would call myself "the prince-master", which eliminates confusion and sounds pretty flashy too.