School leader passes the baton
Mary Lynch has seen more than 3000 girls come and go from Villa Maria College over the past 20 years.
Lynch, 62, will end her tenure next month after starting at the school as its first lay principal in 1992.
Before she was appointed, the role was held by the Sisters of Mercy. About 90 per cent of Catholic schools in New Zealand were at that time run by religious brothers or sisters or ordained priests.
Twenty years on, most, if not all, of the country’s Catholic schools are run by lay principals.
Lynch said she was always supported by the sisters and never heard any negative comments from the school community.
However, there was potential for controversy because there had been a firm perception in the community that a lay person could not possibly be as good as the brothers, sisters or priests who led the schools, she said.
Being a former Villa pupil may have helped ease the transition, Lynch said.
She attended the school in the 1960s after moving to New Zealand from Ireland with her family.
She said she left the school knowing women had a place in the world and could make a difference.
‘‘I’ve said many times they [the sisters] were inspirational women. In the days before women’s lib and equal opportunities, we had this group of articulate and professional women.’’
Lynch said she did not aspire to be the principal at the school and trained to be a teacher only because a friend was training.
Her teaching career started at Ashburton College before going to Patea High School in Taranaki and St Peter’s College in Palmerston North, where she worked her way up to become director of religious studies and acting assistant principal.
Lynch said the critical factor in her decision to leave Villa was the earthquakes.
Her house above Heathcote Valley was badly damaged in the February 2011 quake.
‘‘You do not realise just how much it stretches you.’’
She said she would not miss the long hours and the paperwork, but she would miss the people.
She hoped to work in the education sector in the future.
However, for now, she was taking a break to spend time with her 11 grandchildren.
‘‘I inherited a very good school and I’d like to think I am leaving a very good school,’’
Her replacement has yet to be named.