MUM’S RAGE AT MISS WHO FORCE FED SON TOAST
Teacher suspended over classroom behaviour
THE mum of an autistic boy has told of her horror after finding out a teacher force-fed her son toast.
Alison Mackie, who taught at Chatelherault Primary School in Hamilton, has been suspended for six months after a watchdog described her actions as “extremely serious”.
Furious parents of the children involved say they are appalled as full details of the teacher’s behaviour over a series of incidents in 2015 are only coming to light now.
In spring that year, the General Teaching Council for Scotland heard that a child’s head was tilted back and he was force-fed toast
during a morning break.His devastated mum told the Record: “All of the kids in the unit at Chatelherault are non-verbal, so he can’t tell us if something is wrong at school the same way other children can. “I was so angry when I found out what had happened to him.”
She claims the incident was reported by a classroom assistant to the head teacher in June 2015 then passed on to South Lanarkshire Council.
A council spokesman said: “This was a sensitive case at the centre of which was a child with complex additional support needs who deserved better care.
“The council has acknowledged this and taken responsibility for the actions of this individual.
“It is worth emphasising that, as soon as concerns were first raised, the council took appropriate action, including referring the matter to the General Teaching Council for Scotland.
“We recognise this has been a difficult period for the family and senior officers have apologised in face-to-face meetings.”
Mackie is no longer at the school.