Family claims 7-year-old boy injured over NAPLAN refusal in Townsville

A Townsville school is conducting an internal investigation after a family alleged that a seven-year-old boy with ADHD and autism was injured by school representatives following his refusal to take a NAPLAN test.

The family of a seven-year-old boy claim he was allegedly injured by school representatives at Carinity Education Shalom. Picture: Evan Morgan

A Townsville school is conducting an internal investigation after a family alleged that a seven-year-old boy with ADHD and autism was injured by school representatives following his refusal to take a NAPLAN test.

The boy’s adult sister, who we have not named to protect the child’s identity, claims the family is concerned the student was injured by two school representatives at Carinity Education Shalom after refusing to sit the national literacy and numeracy assessment.

She says the little boy is now feeling scared about returning to school.

“As a result of the (alleged) altercation, my brother sustained injuries to his underarms, shoulders, and back,” his sister said.

“The physical injuries sustained by my brother were reportedly a result of his refusal to participate in a NAPLAN test.

“However, upon conducting further research, I have discovered that participation in NAPLAN is not mandatory.

“As such, it appears that the school subjected him to unnecessary pressure and stress.”

The boy's family claims he suffered injuries to his underarms, shoulders, and back.

While NAPLAN testing is a regular part of the school calendar for students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 across Queensland, it is not compulsory, and parents or carers may choose to withdraw their child from the assessments.

The family has also accused the school of failing to take responsibility for the incident.

“Unfortunately, the school has failed to take responsibility for the event, and no apology has been issued to our family regarding this matter,” his sister said.

In a statement, Carinity Education Shalom confirmed it is conducting its own internal investigation into the alleged incident.

“Our management is in direct contact with the parents of the student, with both parties agreeing that Carinity will conduct a full investigation of the events that transpired and report back to the parents by Friday, March 21,” it read.

“We are unaware of any police investigation into the matter, however if we are approached by Queensland Police we will co-operate with them fully.

“Carinity is unable to make further comment until the results of the investigation are clear and they have been communicated to all involved parties.

“The safety and wellbeing of all students is our school’s highest priority, and we are committed to acting on the findings of the investigation.”

Originally published as Family claims 7-year-old boy injured over NAPLAN refusal in Townsville