A 12-YEAR-OLD boy who sustained serious injuries after he fell from a school stairwell last week says the incident was an accident and he was not pushed.
The boy’s mother told the Central Western Daily her son had now recovered enough to discuss the incident that occurred at The Canobolas Rural Technology High School last Thursday.
Contrary to claims made by his mother in Saturday’s CWD, the boy said no one else was responsible for his fall and he denied he was a victim of schoolyard bullying.
The boy’s comments are backed up by further investigations by the Department of Education and Communities.
A department spokesperson said the school’s staff found nothing to substantiate reports the boy was pushed or bullied while at the school.
“It pointed to the student disobeying an instruction to remain with other students in a supervised area and going to the second floor of his own volition,” the spokesperson said.
“The principal, deputy principal with responsibility for year 7 and the year 7 advisor have no recollection or record of speaking to the student’s parents about him being bullied.
“The school is committed to investigating any incident thoroughly.
“If any evidence suggests the involvement of other students pushing or bullying it will be fully examined.”
The boy’s mother said she feared her son was not telling the truth for fear of retribution.
She said she’d contacted Orange police to ask for a further investigation into the incident.
“He might have [been pushed], or he might not have,” she said.
“But I want someone to look deeper into this.
“Even my husband said there’s something he’s not telling us.”
The boy is still in Orange hospital recovering from surgery to repair a broken ankle and leg and is expected to be discharged this week.
The woman said as a result of the incident she had decided to withdraw her son and 14-year-old daughter from school and enrol them in distance education.
“I told him [her 12-year-old son] in no uncertain terms that he’s not going back to that school ... and he brightened up,” she said.
“He was happy not to be going back.
“He’ll be doing it [distance education] as soon as I can arrange it.”
The woman said she was concerned the school had breached its duty of care by not enclosing the stairwell.
tracey.prisk@ruralpress.com
