Parents offered version of class photo without ‘complex needs’ pupils
COUNCIL chiefs have been forced to apologise after parents were offered the chance to buy their child’s school class photo with or without pupils with ‘complex needs’.
Three children at Aboyne Primary were removed from images sent via an internet link, giving parents the option to order a photo without them in it.
Natalie Pinnell, whose nine-year-old daughter Erin was omitted from the P5 class photo, said for someone to think she is ‘erasable’ is ‘beyond comprehension’.
Erin, who has autism, was the only one in her class removed from the photo. Two other children, one who uses a wheelchair and another with additional support needs, were omitted from the P3/4 class photo.
Aberdeenshire Council last night said it had taken the matter up with Tempest Photography, the company responsible.
Mrs Pinnell, 38, said the school, which has a dedicated additional needs hub, had vowed never to use the company again.
She said: ‘It has been a hard thing to process as a family. As a mum I want to champion her, and to have people thinking she is erasable is just devastating beyond belief. To give parents a choice whether or not to include one individual child because she doesn’t fit in with it all is beyond comprehension.’
The mother of two said all parents were sent one class photo, except for the two classes with children with additional needs. They both got the option of two images, one of the whole class and the other without the additional needs children.
Mrs Pinnell said it ‘undermines’ all the school’s work.
Lisa Boyd’s nine-year-old daughter Lily Nicolson, who has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair, was also omitted from one of the P3/4 class photos, along with another boy. She said: ‘This is clear discrimination and shouldn’t happen in a school or anywhere.
‘It is the worst that Lily has been treated in her entire life. The school is so inclusive, Lily is included in everything the school does.
‘Her twin sister, Iona, is in a different class and I only got one photo for that class but I got two for Lily’s – one without my kid in it. It’s horrendous.’
Ms Boyd said the reason the photographer gave to the school initially was that it can take time to get some children focused. Aberdeenshire Council last night said the decision to offer images ‘with and without complex needs provision pupils’ was not taken by the school.
A spokesman said: ‘We absolutely appreciate the distress and hurt this has caused some parents and carers and we are sincerely sorry.
‘The issue has been taken up with the photography company directly as this is totally unacceptable.’
Tempest was contacted but it told BBC Scotland it was investigating the matter and there would be no comment at this stage.