SCHOOL IN BULLIES CRISIS
PARENTS at Bohlevale State School are signing their children up to counselling and have been forced to enrol their kids at other schools because of bullying.
Sam Archer has been concerned for her daughter’s safety at the school since she started being bullied this year.
She said her daughter had been threatened and sexually harassed by children in her class and in older grades.
“My kid is in counselling because she has anxiety and she questions her worth,” she said.
“My kid is petrified and she was a straight-a kid before this year and now she is depressed and hates school.”
Ms Archer says she was scared for her own safety as the bullies had even verbally abused her at the school gates.
Ms Archer said she had exhausted all avenues to keep her daughter safe and said she had been told by the Department of Education and police it was a school issue.
She said she had no option but to move her daughter to the nearby North Shore State School.
It is a similar story for Haley Bates, who has a son in Year 5 who she said was recently physically attacked.
“They grabbed him by the throat and put him in a headlock and punched him and threw him to the ground calling him a retard, asking him why he hasn’t killed himself yet,” she said.
“I took him to the doctors because he is starting to get angry and putting himself down now and it’s so sad to see because he was a kid that was always happy and now he is miserable.”
Alyssha Paul’s son and daughter are being bullied at Bohlevale State School and her daughter’s school grades are suffering.
“It (the bullying) started in Year 3, pulling her hair and flicking her bra strap and grabbing her boob and it went on for a term,” she said.
“My daughter straight-a student she is getting Cs.” was a and now
Ms Paul’s son has been at Bohlevale since Year 1 and she said his mental health had deteriorated over the past five years.
“My son sees a social worker and a therapist,” she said.
Ms Paul has reported the incidents to police but was told they could not help her.
It is not easy for Ms Paul to pull her children out.
“We are metres from the catchline and we can’t get in to North Shore,” she said.
Amanda Todd relocated from New South Wales last year and enrolled her son in Bohlevale State School.
Ms Todd said the Year 5 student had been constantly bullied since term one and she had seen a dramatic change in his behaviour and was seeking professional help for his issues.
A Department of Education spokesman said the department’s North Queensland Regional office was aware of concerns raised by parents.
He said the office was working with the school and parents to resolve these concerns.
The department said it could not address any allegations from the parents because of “student privacy issues”.
“Bohlevale State School continues to work diligently to promote safe and respectful interactions between students and a safe learning environment,” the spokesman said.
“Bohlevale State School is committed to providing a safe, respectful and disciplined learning environment.”
The spokesman said any situation that threatened the safety and wellbeing of students or others in the school community was treated extremely seriously.
“Any students breaching these rules, or who are involved in bullying incidents, will be dealt with in line with the school’s Responsible Behaviour Plan,” he said.
The spokesman said the school did not tolerate bullying and violence.
“The school has also implemented a school-wide Positive Education program that explicitly teaches students expected behaviours (including anti-bullying),” he said.