Keilor Heights Primary School parents say students are being attacked by bullies
Schoolyard bullies terrorising children at Keilor Heights Primary School are being rewarded with biscuit-baking, but the education department says “appropriate action” has been taken.
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Bullies at a Melbourne primary school are being rewarded with biscuit baking while well-behaved kids are being terrorised and too scared to go to school, it has been claimed.
Parents of Keilor Heights Primary students told the Sunday Herald Sun violence at the school peaked this month when a Grade Two girl was attacked so forcefully by another student, it resulted in a hole in the wall.
The Department of Education confirmed the assault, saying the school had supported students and “appropriate action” had been taken.
In an open letter to the school council – written before the attack – parent Anna Kalajdzic said bullies were “baking cookies” rather than being punished and hardworking students were terrified and slipping behind in their studies.
Ms Kalajdzic said she had four children at the school and was “desperate” for the violence to stop, so she did not have to move them to another school “like so many other parents are currently doing”.
She said there had also been “a massive staff exodus” over the last two years.
The level of student violence was “beyond unacceptable” and the school was at breaking point, Ms Kalajdzic said.
“For some children in my daughter’s class this is the second year of evacuations, chair throwing, physical assaults. And the stories which are also occurring in the older classes go on and on,” she said.
“We hear all this talk about being tough on bullying but all of our children can see that when it comes down to it, nothing gets done. Bullies have been able to bake cookies and hide behind the guise of inclusiveness and have far more rights than well behaved children or teachers and aids in our school.”
Her letter follows reports to the Sunday Herald Sun from other Keilor Heights parents of violence and class evacuations in junior years and inappropriate, “highly-sexualised behaviour” from some students in senior years.
Parents said the assault on the eight year-old girl on December 6 was terrifying.
“She was significantly injured and traumatised, as were her family as a result of the ensuing notification,” the Sunday Herald Sun was told.
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A Department of Education spokesman said any violent or threatening behaviour directed at students, teachers or other staff in Victorian government schools was completely unacceptable, and safety and wellbeing was its top priority.
“Keilor Heights Primary School has taken appropriate action following an incident last week,” he said on Friday.
“The school has been proactive in supporting its students following the incident.”
The Department said it could not elaborate on the nature of the action taken.