A Lotus River mother is furious at her child’s principal, who she says is allowing her daughter to be bullied at school.
Audrey Miseroole’s eight-year-old girl is in Grade 3 at Plantation Primary school in Grassy Park and she says she’s battled to protect her from the boy.
The distraught mom says the bully has stabbed her daughter with a pencil, has taken her stationery and made racial comments, calling her “ witbrood” because she is fair-skinned.
Audrey, 37, says she and her daughter’s father have been in meetings with the principal, deputy principal and the class teacher, but they’ve refused to separate her child from the culprit.
“My daughter is such a softy and only told me about what was happening when I pointedly asked how she was after she seemed a little off earlier in the year,” says the mom.
“She is traumatised by this monster daily and when spoken to, this child just stops for a week or so and then continues with his nonsense. I have tried to be patient and understanding, because he is also just a child.”
Audrey says what also angers her are the excuses she gets from the school principal Mr Meyer and the deputy principal Mrs Lawrence, and their reasons for not doing anything.
They have also apparently told her the bully has a track record dating back to Grade R of behavioural problems.
“She (the deputy principal) said he was a problem child, but I think it’s unfair that my child has to be victimised because he has issues at home,” adds Audrey.
“He also picks on other kids in her (Grade 3) class, especially the foreigners, and is turning a few of the boys in the class into monsters. Mr Meyer does not get back to me with answers. It stops right here!”
The mom says the teachers have confirmed to her that the bully has got issues at home with his own parents.
The principal was not available for comment when contacted, but the Western Cape Education Department has condemned the attack.
Spokesperson to MEC for Education Debbie Schafer, Jessica Shelver, says this is an unacceptable situation: “We have zero tolerance for bullying in our schools,” says Shelver.
“Our officials are aware of the alleged incident and the school dealt with the matter in terms of their code of conduct.”