Mother accuses elite Joburg school of inaction after 7-year-old injured in alleged bullying incidents

A Johannesburg mother is accusing the prestigious St Stithians College of failing to protect her seven-year-old daughter after a series of alleged bullying incidents left the child with possible hearing damage.

The girl’s mother, identified only as "Thandi" to protect her family’s identity, said doctors found pencil shavings had been forced into her daughter’s ears, allegedly by a classmate, causing infection and temporary hearing loss.

"She managed to come out and to say that a child at the school has been putting pencil shavings into her ear, and I did say to the doctor, 'Is it something that you can medically confirm?' And he said, 'Yes, I can medically confirm.' He gave us a written report which the school has on record."

According to "Thandi", the abuse began months earlier with smaller incidents on the playground and escalated to physical assaults, including one at ballet class where another pupil allegedly pushed her daughter.

"She came from ballet, and she reported that she had been assaulted by one of the kids in the school."

Although the school confirmed it has video footage of at least one incident, "Thandi" claims officials have responded with "legally charged letters" rather than compassion, while the alleged perpetrators remain in class.

"We've remained committed to the school in terms of finding some form of way to remedy this so that it never happens to another child. I think from our initial approach to the school, we did commend them highly that our child has grown within the school academically, and she's really grown in mathematics and her reading skills and her cognitive skills. However, we did express that these are the concerns. So, the school's reaction to the pencil shavings - they said that they were going to call the parents of the child, and then they later corresponded and said that the son and the father denied that the pencil shaving was done by their child.

"One of the parents in the class apologised to us, saying she should have said something because her daughter had raised it at home that our daughter is being bullied in the classroom by boys."

The Department of Basic Education and SAPS have since offered the family support, but "Thandi" said the school's handling of the matter lacks empathy and transparency.

Meanwhile, the school has issued a statement affirming its "robust anti-bullying policy" and commitment to child safety, but declined any media interviews pending an internal investigation.

"I would probably say that I don't feel that that letter carries the emotional sensitivity, no care, no guidance in what the school stands for and what it says it perpetuates as its values and what they believe is in the best interest of our children."

To listen to "Thandi" in conversation with 702's Bongani Bingwa, use the audio player below: