Grade 1 girl allegedly bullied, eyebrows removed and hair shaved at Oost-eind Laerskool

Share current article via EmailShare current article via FacebookShare current article via TwitterShare current article via LinkedInYoliswa SobuwaSenior Reporter

Opens in new windowOpens in new windowOpens in new windowOpens in new windowEnter fullscreen mode displaying this image.ExpandGrade 1 pupil who is allegedly being bullied at school came back with her hair partially shaved. Picture: Supplied While thousands of pupils are busy with their end-of-year assessments, a Grade 1 girl in Pretoria is sitting at home after allegedly being subjected to bullying so severe that she returned from school with her eyebrows removed, some of her hair shaved and scratches on her face.

Her mother says she has been left with no choice but to keep her daughter at home after repeated attempts to get the school and the Gauteng department of education to intervene allegedly yielded little assistance.

The mother, whose identity is being withheld to protect the identity of her daughter, told the Sunday Times that what should have been an exciting first year of primary school had instead become a traumatic experience for the little girl.

Her daughter is a pupil at Laerskool Oost-Eind in Pretoria.

The mother said the problems began earlier this year, when her daughter returned home from the school’s recommended aftercare programme with some of her belongings missing.

Items such as pencil cases and socks would disappear, while other pupils allegedly wrote on her schoolbooks. She also heard that her daughter was being teased about her teeth.

“I never really thought much of it initially. I raised the matter with her teacher, but she told me it was not a school problem, even though the aftercare programme operates within the school premises and had been recommended by the school. The children allegedly bullying my daughter are also in her class,” she said.

The situation escalated on October 22 when the girl returned home with two bruises on her arm.

Her mother said she immediately contacted the teacher, who promised to get back to her. However, she received no feedback.

“When I followed up, I was told that she had forgotten to inform me because there was a water crisis,” she said.

The mother said she continued trying to raise concerns with the school, but was repeatedly told to make an appointment rather than arrive unannounced.

I took her out of school last week because the situation was affecting her. On Monday, I took her back, but she came home worse. This is too much for my child, who is supposed to be enjoying her first year at school.

Last week, the situation took an even more disturbing turn when the child returned home with her eyebrows removed and some of her hair shaved. She also had scratches on her face.

Despite reporting the incident, the mother said she was frustrated by what she described as a lack of urgency from the school.

“Even when I reported that her eyebrows had been removed and part of her hair shaved, there was no sense of urgency. The school said it would conduct an investigation.

“I then called the principal to complain, but she dropped the phone and accused me of harassing her,” the mother alleged.

She also claimed that her daughter had complained about being beaten by her teacher with a book because she had not completed her schoolwork.

The mother said the experience had taken a toll on the child’s emotional wellbeing and she had started to wet her bed.

“I took her out of school last week because the situation was affecting her. On Monday, I took her back, but she came home worse. This is too much for my child, who is supposed to be enjoying her first year at school,” she said.

According to the South African College of Applied Psychology, bullying remains a significant problem in South African schools, with many victims choosing not to report their experiences because they fear that doing so will make little difference or could make the situation worse.

The institution has previously highlighted the links between bullying, school absenteeism and serious mental health consequences.

Its published figures indicate that more than 3.2-million learners are bullied annually, while 67% do not report their experiences. It also estimates that 160,000 learners skip school daily to avoid bullying and that one in 10 learners may drop out because of bullying.

The figures point to the scale of a problem that can have lasting consequences for victims, bystanders and even those responsible for the abuse.

The Sunday Times sent questions to the Gauteng department of education on Friday seeking comment about the allegations, the steps taken to investigate the incidents and what support would be provided to the child and her family.

The department had not responded by the time of publication.

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