After only six months of commencing his new primary school term, parents of an autistic 8-year-old are claiming that the child was physically abused on numerous occasions by teachers attached to a special needs educational facility, and as such, are calling on the relevant authorities to intervene.
According to the aggrieved mother, in an interview with INews, her child- whom, because of a problem in the development of his brain, has a difficulty in communicating and forming relationships with other people- was abused by teachers attached to a school (name provided).
She explained that on three occasions, the youngster demonstrated to her that the two teachers would use a stick to hit him in the head and on his mouth.
After several complaints, the mother of the child said she decided to visit the school to enquire about the incidents.
“A day I went to pick him up to take him home. When I reach home with him, he said, ‘mommy, look.’ I said ‘What happened, and he said ‘teacher lash me.’ I said ‘where teacher lash you?’ He said ‘on my mouth.’ I said ‘with what?’ He said a ‘stick.’ I showed him a ruler I have home, he said ‘no, not that. A stick.’ So I said, ‘who teacher lash you?’ He said Miss [name provided].’ When I went to the school the next day, I went to her and she said, ‘I’m sorry. I was to tell you that [your child] run into the blackboard.’ I said my child didn’t tell me he ran into the blackboard, he tell me you lash him to his mouth with a stick,’” the woman recounted to this online publication.
The mother further explained that after the teacher maintained that the injuries on her child were self-inflicted, she left it at that.
However, on another occasion, she related that she picked him up from the school and he related again that he received lashes to his head from the another teacher.
At this point, the concerned mother decided to report the matter to the Head Mistress of the school, (name provided), who the mother said promised to look into the matter, while outlining that this never occurred.
The third instance of the child being allegedly abused reportedly occurred some two weeks ago when he returned home with his father, from school, with his hand burnt.
“When he came home, his hand was burned! When he came home he tell me. I was in the chair and he said to me, he said ‘Teacher said she was doing something and the glue from the gun drop on his hands.’ By the time I get up to go to the school, the phone ring and Miss [First Teacher] started to say that she sorry. How she was doing something.”
The woman related that this incident triggered her to lodge several complaints at the welfare department. She said she was given all assurances that they will launch an investigation into the matter.
When this publication made contact with the Head Teacher of the school to solicit a response to the allegations being made, the official refused to speak and hung up the telephone.
Efforts to also make contact with the Head of the Child Care and Protection Agency , Ann Greene, proved futile.
