School rejects student in storeroom claim

By Bridget Brady
Cranbourne mother Kylie, who did not want her last name revealed. fearing it would identify her daughter, said a teacher at Pearcedale Primary School placed her 11-year-old in a store room when she started a “massive” panic attack in June.
But principal of the school Don Mackenzie on Tuesday dismissed the claims as “inaccurate.”
“We encourage our students to utilise quiet space if they need to. The respective student chose to sit on a beanbag in an area adjoining the classroom for a short period of time,” Mr Mackenzie said.
But Kylie said she had discussed the matter with the relevant teacher soon after the incident. At that time, Kylie said, the teacher admitted to the incident.
“The school (teacher) said to me yes they did put her (child) in the store room. They said she was able to leave (the room) whenever she wanted, but she (child) chose to stay in there.”
But Kylie said her daughter would have been in too bad a condition to leave the room of her own accord.
Kylie lodged a complaint with the Department of Education a week after the incident and contacted the News last week after she received a response from the department recently.
A spokeswoman for the department told the News “the department found the complaint to be unfounded”.
Kylie said her daughter, who has a severe anxiety disorder, was left in the room for about two hours.
“I said to the school that’s not good enough. You were well aware of her condition…why on earth would you put her in that room.”
Kylie has since removed her daughter from the school, where she was a student since Grade prep.