An angry mom says her top achiever son has been suspended for failing to report a fight over a soccer pitch.
Carmen Martin says she got a letter from Grade 7 learner Zahir Petersen informing her that he was suspended by the acting principal of Stephen Road Primary.
“On Friday my son was suspended from school simply because he didn’t get involved in a fight,” Carmen says.
“The acting principal suspended a few boys for just standing there while two boys were fighting.
“They were fighting over soccer, the other boys didn’t want to move from the pitch and then a fight broke out. My son is an introvert, he doesn’t talk much and they said he didn’t do anything when the fight started.”
The mom went to the Lotus River school on Monday and tried to get her son back in class.
“I was told by the acting secretary that the acting principal was running late,” she explains.
“My son has missed out on revision day and that is the most important time of the year.
“They are supposed to write their exams on Wednesday, he has never been suspended. He gets anxious when he lacks in his schoolwork.
“I want my son to go back to school, and I want the department to know about what happened,” Carmen adds.
She states that her son is an hard-working pupil who deserves to be in school.
“I wanted to know if this will be on his school records, because my son is a top student and a very quiet well-mannered boy and all his teachers he had at that school can vouch for him.
“Every award season he brings home a diploma and I don’t know how this will impact his record.
“We are about three or four parents who are very upset because we never got a warning, a phone call or anything to say our children were in trouble.
“Other kids in that school who walk around with knives can go to school freely. Why must we keep our kids at home when all they want to do is learn and improve their education?”
Education spokesperson Bronagh Hammond said: “The district was not informed of the alleged incident and are currently following up with the school to determine the facts and the processes followed post the event.”
mandilakhe.tshwete@inl.co.za