It has been really difficult to keep quiet about this situation, but it is getting worse not only for my son, but for all the children who study with him. I don't even know where to start, as the story is long. All I know is that we have lived through many months of anguish, not knowing whether our son would come home safely or not.
Throughout my school years, I suffered bullying, and I knew that when I had a child, I would never allow him to go through that situation. But now that moment has arrived, and I can't do anything without help, but those who are supposed to provide help are doing nothing..
It all started last year, when my son came home from school nervous and stressed, saying that a boy in his class was misbehaving, throwing tables, biting the teacher, hitting other children. Each of these stories my son told me were on different days, each time telling me worse things. I was surprised that no one had said anything in the school's WhatsApp group, since my son said that this boy hit everyone almost every day. Finally, one day, someone wrote in the group, addressing the teacher and asking what was going on because their daughter had come home with bruises. Immediately after that message, more mothers began to complain about the same boy.
It was at that moment that I realized that the situation was worse than I had imagined. The teacher simply decided to close the WhatsApp group when she read all these messages, but before that, all of us mothers agreed to go and complain directly to the school. Unfortunately, only four of us went that day, out of the nearly 30 children in the class, and the principal didn't come because she “happened” to be “sick” that day. We had to talk to her secretary and the assistant principal, who simply gave us words of encouragement. I found out more and more terrible things when I had the opportunity to talk to other mothers, and even the school janitor. Everyone knows this child because he even runs away from school and does whatever he wants. At that moment, I found out that this child behaves this way because he suffers from schizophrenia and hyperactivity.
After that day, the principal scheduled a meeting with everyone. I already knew what she was going to say, but I went anyway. At that meeting, they were supposed to let everyone express how this child had affected our children, but that never happened. The principal did not let any representative speak. Even when someone tried to speak, she interrupted them, which is really terrible for the head of a school. She explained that this child is sick and his mother does not take him to the doctor, that she does not care. She also scolded us for speaking of the child on the WhatsApp group, saying that none of us would like another mother to speak ill of our child, and she is right, but we never spoke ill of the child. We only commented on what happened to each of our children and how concerned we are about the situation. Besides, if my son had that condition, I would never expose him and other children to it. I would make sure he had his medicine and was monitored so that he wouldn't get upset. Anyway, the principal practically did all the talking at the meeting. She told us wonderful things about the child and, as a solution, she said they would file a complaint directly with the mother since she is not complying with giving the child his medicine.
And this is where everything was forgotten, as we trusted her word and believed that everything would be resolved. Venezuelan law prohibits the expulsion of a child, so the school could not do anything. The complaint was filed, but nothing happened. Over time, we complained again, and the solution was that the mother had to bring the child only three times a week for three hours. Over time, the mother left the child for longer periods until we reached the present, and the child now attends school every day for the full day. We complained again because he has even gone so far as to spit on and hit teachers. He threw a full water bottle at my son's head and hit him in the stomach. Unfortunately, the situation remains the same or WORSE, and we have not received a response. I met a mother who only takes her daughter to school when she has a test. The rest of the time, she stays home because the girl is terrified of that boy. I also tried to get all the parents to meet to file a complaint on our own, but NO ONE wanted to do anything. They even spoke badly of me for wanting to hurt a child who is sick, when I was really looking out for everyone's well-being.
My son has not attended school for two weeks due to this situation. We have been working with him at home. The law prohibits expelling a child but does not ensure the peace of the other children. The law has not punished the mother who does not take care of her son, does not give him medicine, and also provides him with a terrible education at home because the things that child says he learns from somewhere. But the law can punish me for not taking my son to school in order to protect his physical and psychological integrity, arguing that “I am denying my son the right to education.” We are preparing a complaint on our own to at least have some support when they want to accuse us of negligence for not sending our son to school. We reached the point where every day I dropped my son off at school, I had to tell him to defend himself, not to let himself be hit, to hit back. I know it's not the right thing to do, but no one knows better than I do that school is a horrible place if you don't know how to defend yourself and you let yourself be bullied.
I know the child is not to blame, but I can't help feeling angry. I worry about my son, who has cost me (and still costs me) so much effort to care for, educate, and guide down the best path.
