School faces garda probe over child ‘treatment’

Parents of children at a rural school allege pupils were treated inappropriately, writes Maeve Sheehan

GARDAI are preparing to interview pupils at a rural primary school after a group of parents made allegations of inappropriate behaviour against the management.

Ten families from the tiny village met officers last Thursday to discuss complaints that broadly relate to alleged belittling or humiliation of children in class and allegations of verbal abuse.

Parents said they were told by gardai at the meeting that, while some of their concerns fell outside the force’s remit, others would be investigated.

These are understood to include an allegation that a child was slapped and told he would have his photograph taken, after he soiled himself at school, became upset and cried to go home.

Gardai are expected to take formal statements from parents before opening an investigation. Parents at the meeting were asked to sign forms consenting to their children being interviewed by a specialist child protection team.

The school and its location cannot be identified, to protect the identities of those involved.

The thrust of the complaints relate to the children’s treatment in school and, in some cases, are historic. In most cases, parents removed their children from the school.

One family has complained that in 2004 their child, then 11, was taunted by the principal and suffered vomiting and stress at home.

Another child, who was diagnosed with ADHD, was allegedly forced to stand in a hula hoop at break time as punishment and criticised in front of his classmates for not being able to speak properly.

One family’s allegations include the humiliation of their eight-year-old daughter who was allegedly taunted over her choice of Communion dress.

The school declined to comment when contacted by the Sunday Independent. The chair of the board of management did not reply to queries.

AGROUP of parents in a small rural village were invited to a meeting with An Garda Siochana over allegations of inappropriate treatment of their children by management of their parish school.

Ten families met gardai last Thursday to discuss complaints that range from alleged belittling or humiliation of their children in class, to allegations of verbal abuse and inappropriate punishments.

Parents say they were told by gardai that while some of their concerns fell outside the force’s remit, others would be investigated. They were asked to sign consent forms allowing their children to be interviewed by a specialist child protection team. According to one parent who attended the meeting, at least a dozen children could be interviewed by specialist gardai in the coming weeks.

Gardai are expected to focus on an allegation concerning a child who has behavioural problems and was allegedly slapped and told his photograph would be taken and circulated, after he soiled himself in school and became upset. The child was later diagnosed with ADHD. The parents of that child, along with the parents of another child who witnessed the alleged incident, were among the group who met with gardai last week.

Gardai must first take statements from parents before they can formally open an investigation.

The dramatic developments have occurred in a tight-knit parish, where many families in the community send their children to the local village school. Neither the school nor its location can be identified to protect the identifies of the children and adults involved. The Sunday Independent spoke to some of the parents on condition that they would not be named.

Many of the incidents complained of are historic, and in most cases the parents had removed their children from the school and had moved on as families.

The broad thrust of the complaints related to their children being humiliated or demeaned in class. One family who took their child out of the primary school in 2004, claimed he suffered vomiting and stress because he was allegedly being “taunted” in class.

Another couple alleged that their child, who was diagnosed with ADHD, was often forced to stand in a hula hoop at break time for up to 15 minutes as punishment while other children played, and was allegedly criticised in front of classmates for not being able to speak properly. The child was so upset that his parents removed him mid-term to another school in 2015. They said they were never contacted by the school’s board of management to ask why.

Another couple alleged that their eight-year-old daughter was humiliated in front of the class after being taunted over her choice of communion dress. The parents removed their child from the school in 2016, after confronting the principal. They said they also wrote to the school’s board of management but received no reply.

Two families removed their children from the school last year. In both cases, the parents said they did so because of how their children were allegedly treated.

When another local family took their child out of the school, alleging that he had been verbally abused and humiliated, in front of other pupils, the parents agreed that they wanted to speak out.

Last month, the parents wrote detailed complaints which were submitted on their behalf to the Teaching Council of Ireland.

They also wrote to the local bishop. It was the bishop who involved gardai, as he forwarded to them the particular complaint relating to the alleged incident with the boy who soiled himself.

In a letter to one of the parents, the bishop said their “range of serious allegations” against the school were “of serious concern” to him.

The school was unable to comment citing legal advice when contacted by the Sunday Independent. The chair of the board of management did not reply to calls or emails.

A spokesperson for the bishop confirmed that he received the complaints and that he “initiated the appropriate procedures in relation to some of the complaints as he was obliged to do”.

The spokesperson said the bishop also contacted the complainants directly “to help guide them with the agreed procedures so that their complaints could be understood and resolved”.

The bishop “understands that the complaints will be addressed by the board of management in compliance with the appropriate procedures and in compliance with the agreed complaint procedures in operation in national schools,” the spokesman said.

‘One child is said to have suffered vomiting and stress’