(Trinidad Express) An eight-year-old boy has written a letter to the Education Ministry asking for protection against bullying from fellow classmates at the Happy Hill Hindu School in Gasparillo.
He wrote in part, “I am in Standard One. I love my school, But I am scared to go there. Children there are not nice to me they beat me, torn my clothes, take my lunch, money and snack.”
Mother Mahadaye Boodram, 43, said her son also suffers with seizures and she worries he might have an episode during school while being bullied by the pupils.
Boodram said she has informed the school about the situation which has been occurring since the child was in the infants’ department. She said, “the situation is getting worse and no-one at the school is helping to fix the problem”.
The Express contacted the school at 2.26 p.m. and was told the principal had left for the day and the next senior member of staff was “not around”.
Contacted, the Education Ministry asked for a copy of the boy’s letter which would be sent to the Ministry’s Student Support Services.
Boodram said whenever she attempted to meet the principal at the school she would be told: “I don’t have time”.
In the letter, the boy also wrote: “When I go to my miss to tell her I am being bully. She told me to go and sit down, all I can do is to go and sit down. No one hear my cry for help. I wish they will stop everyday they threat me and take away my money.”
Boodram is also claiming several teachers have both verbally and physically assaulted her son by slapping him at the back of his head. She said she has proof from a medical report from a doctor when her son became sick after being beaten.
The child’s letter also stated: “I told my mom and she did went to the office and they stopped taking my money…”.
Boodram said her son is now afraid to return to school as he fears both teachers and pupils. She said she will not seek a transfer “because my child didn’t do anything wrong. He is the victim here and these teachers who are supposed to protect children instead they are hurting them. Like they forget corporal punishment is banned”.
Boodram also said all she wants is for the bullying to stop and for the Education Ministry to investigate the abuse by teachers against the pupils.
The boy ends the letter writing: “After reading this letter I hope and pray that no one will bully me again”.
