Mom demands action after pupil ‘humiliated’
Boy, 12, scared to go back to school following taunts over wetting himself
A Lorraine Primary School pupil is petrified to return to school after being humiliated in front of classmates when he was forced to sit through the last period of the day drenched in his own urine because a teacher refused to allow him to use the toilet.
The 12-year-old came home teary-eyed this week following almost daily ridicule after the incident in the art class on Wednesday last week, according to his mother.
Neither are being named to protect the traumatised pupil.
The woman said the incident had left her son in emotional turmoil.
The Grade 6 pupil had approached the class teacher – who was dealing with six pupils regarding a separate matter outside the classroom – on three occasions, and was allegedly repeatedly refused permission to go to the toilet. He eventually suffered the humiliation of wetting his pants in front of the class of about 30 other pupils.The boy has had numerous urinary tract infections and underwent a cystogram scan earlier this year, which his mother claims she had made the school aware of.
According to the woman, when her son went outside once again after wetting himself to ask the teacher to go to the bathroom to clean up, he allegedly said: “[Boy’s name], you drama queen!
“Here, you now have your one minute of fame. We don’t need children like you in this school.”
The boy was sent back into the classroom, where he had to endure the rest of the period – the last of the day – in his wet pants in full view of the class.
The woman said her son had refused to return to school for the rest of the week, terrified of being ridiculed.
However, after much convincing, her son returned to school on Monday and, as he had feared, was taunted by other pupils.
Principal Hansie Harmse, who was initially contacted telephonically and then approached at the school, declined to comment, saying the matter was being addressed with the Department of Education.
“I had a meeting with department officials regarding what happened. I am not willing to comment about the matter though,” Harmse said.
Department spokesman Malibongwe Mtima confirmed that district officials had a meeting with Harmse on Tuesday to try to resolve the matter.
“Officials met with the school leadership and agreed that, together with the EDO [education development officer], a report will be compiled reflecting the stories from all of the parties involved,” Mtima said.
“Once we receive that report this week, we will be able to decide on a way forward.”
Asked whether disciplinary action would be taken against the teacher, Mtima said: “We can’t just act without an investigation being conducted first.
“If he [teacher] is found to be guilty of any transgression, the punishment will fit the crime.”However, the pupil’s angry mother said her son required an apology from the teacher in front of the six pupils who were present when the teacher allegedly scolded him. “It is unacceptable that no disciplinary action is being taken against the teacher [yet].
“This is not the first time he [son] was bullied at school. He is not built like a rugby player, he isn’t very sporty – he’s into music and plays the saxophone.
“And he is a good student, always in or close to the top 10 since he started school in Grade 1.
“He has been bullied at school before, numerous times, and the staff at Lorraine [Primary] have never been of any help.
“This time I had no choice but to go to the media because of the hostile attitude by the school and their refusal to acknowledge fault.
“I have been contacted to have a meeting next week, but this could have been handled better.
“This [newspaper report] will hopefully ensure my son and others like him stop being victimised and bullied.
“This week, in particular, you can see the emotional turmoil he is in – and this as exams start this week.”
Education psychologist Gerhardt Goosen said the incident was particularly influential at this stage of the pupil’s emotional development.
“Around that age, especially among boys, they are very vulnerable as they are forming their sexual identity and wrestling with issues of masculinity,” Goosen said.
“So this incident will almost certainly traumatise the boy and he should consult a professional to work through this as it could have far-reaching effects – not only with his self-image, but also his response to authority.
“The relationship between the pupil and teacher in question needs to be mended as it could affect his relationship with other teachers and authority figures in future.
“Subsequently, his mind is now focused on this, instead of schoolwork.”
Netcare Greenacres Hospital GP Dr Peter Schwartz said a bladder infection in a pupil of the boy’s age was most unusual, as it mainly affected older women.
He said there had to be an underlying cause that needed to be investigated and treated.
“If you’ve got to go [to the toilet], you need to go,” he said.
“One cannot voluntarily control this immediate urge, and the scholar would need to relieve his irritating bladder pressure symptoms.
“Holding back, or ‘knyping’ [pinching], is not possible in this case – there should probably have been a more compassionate understanding of this pathology by all the people involved.”
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