The NSW Department of Education is investigating allegations an Illawarra primary school teacher physically assaulted an eight-year-old student.
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A mother claims the teacher, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, slapped her son across his neck and grabbed his wrist and twisted it.
The mother says the alleged incident on March 16 took place in the school hall while the students were playing dodge-ball. It was witnessed by other students.
She says her son and other students have also been subjected to verbal abuse by the teacher.
In correspondence to the school and the Public Schools NSW Wollongong Network director Mandy Shaw, which the Mercury has seen, the mother said the language used by the teacher ‘’not acceptable’’.
‘’He has no right whatsoever to tell eight-year-olds to shut up, call them idiots, then tell them they are short, weak…..let alone assault them in any way,’’ the mother said.
‘’I am not comfortable for my son to be anxious about attending school because of his teacher. After the incident [assault] he wet his bed that night.
‘’His schooling has regressed as a result of this.
‘’My son has a right to an education, in a school and classroom without being bullied and where he is safe. Currently I do not believe that he is safe in [the teacher’s] classroom. The Education Department has a duty of care to my son.’’
In the days and weeks after the alleged incident the mother has written a number of letters to the school and the NSW Education Department outlining her concerns.
Member for Wollongong, Paul Scully has also passed on her correspondence. Mr Scully has also written to the Minister for Education, Rob Stokes on behalf of the woman.
He has also written to the minister on behalf of a number of other parents from the same southern Illawarra school who have expressed displeasure with the teacher’s methods.
In a statement, the Department of Education said it ‘’takes all complaints seriously and is aware of the complaint referred to’’.
‘’While it is not appropriate for the Department to comment on individual staff circumstances, action is being taken to address this complaint,’’ a spokesperson said.
‘’All students are supported in their wellbeing and learning as a matter of course, with additional support available as necessary. Counselling is available to students at all schools.’’
In the days after the alleged physical assault the mother requested her son be removed from the class.
‘’The school wouldn’t do it,’’ she said.
The mother and other parents from the same class met with Public Schools NSW Wollongong Network director Mandy Shaw and the school principal on April 7 to voice their concerns.
On April 24 Mrs Shaw wrote to the mother saying that: ‘’in particular the safety and wellbeing of students was identified as an area of great concern to parents and further resources will be put in place to respond to this from the beginning of Term 2, 2017’’
There was a ‘’support person’’ in the teacher’s classroom when students returned to school on Wednesday.
‘’That person is purely there for the safety of the children, not for his [lack] of teaching ability. It does not seem like a viable outcome to me,’’ she said.