Autistic child allegedly abused by teachers at school

The mother of an eight-year-old autistic child who attends the David Rose School for the Handicapped on Thomas Lands in Georgetown has accused the teachers of burning and abusing her child, who has been enrolled at that learning institution for the past six months.

The burn on the child’s hand

The irate woman claims her son has constantly complained of the physical abuse he has been enduring. She told Guyana Times that on three occasions her son had gone home and demonstrated to her what two teachers would normally do to him. He claims being hit to the head and mouth with a stick.
“He came home one day and told me that he was hit to his mouth by Miss (name provided) with a stick; so I have a ruler, and I showed it to him and asked if it was with one like this (the ruler); he said, ‘No, a stick,’.”
She explained that after the child had complained several times, she visited the school and spoke with the head-teacher, who assured her that she would launch an investigation into the matter. However, this mother has said, this was never done.
This mother is further alleging that, about two weeks ago, her son had come home with a burn on his hand. When she probed him, she was told the teachers had burnt him. Accordingly, she lodged several complaints at the Schools Welfare Department; and again she was given all assurance that an investigation would be launched into the matter, but like in the first instance, nothing was done.
“When his father picked him up from school that day, the father said to him when he came home, ‘Show your mother what happened to your hand’. When I (looked, there was) one burn on his hand. I asked him what happened, and he told me the teacher burn his hand,” this mother detailed.
“As I was preparing to go back to the school, my phone rang, and it was the teacher, who said that by accident my child was burnt with a glue gun, and that she was sorry for what happened,” the woman further explained.
The woman explained that from the looks of the burn, which had taken up about 40 percent of the surface of the child’s hand, “it looked as if someone held his hand and burn it”.
This mother has only recently alleged that another teacher attached to the institution saw her and told her of all the instances her child had been abused by the other teachers.
She also mentioned that the teacher told her that the complaints made by her autistic child are true.
“I went to town last week, and another teacher that teaches there saw me. And as we were speaking, she said that indeed one of the teachers (had) hit the child to his mouth and another burn his hands deliberately with the glue gun,” this mother detailed.
She said the teacher further related that she “didn’t want to say anything while she was at the school, because on more than one occasion, when these things happen, the headmistress would normally cover it up.
“From the first time my child told me of being abused by the teachers, I believed him, because it is not like he doesn’t know what is going on, or he can’t speak; he knows very well, and he also told the teacher to her face that she hit him and she just walk away,” the woman related.
When Guyana Times contacted the head-teacher, Dionne McKenzie, for a comment, she refused to speak, and subsequently hung up the telephone.
This devastated mother is hoping that the Education Ministry would investigate the matter.