A three-year-old was tossed out of a top Joburg school after just three days.
A three-year-old boy was allegedly expelled from Crawford College in Sandton, Johannesburg, three days after being accepted at the school, according to a report on Friday.
The teacher responsible for the doomed scholar cited his disruptive behaviour as the main reason for the child’s expulsion, the boy’s mother told the Star newspaper. She also claims the teacher had told her that the boy has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and would “need to go on Ritalin”.
The school denies the expulsion, and a spokesperson has said that the boy was voluntarily withdrawn by the child’s mother, and has added that at no time did the teacher recommend Ritalin or other medication.
Besides the alleged ADHD diagnosis, the teacher also purportedly said to the angry mother that “he takes too much of her [the teacher’s] attention and it's no wonder I [the mother] don't want to have more children."
Just how “disruptive” can a three-year-old be? And how long does it take a child to settle in a new school?
Settling new kids
Karen Meyer, a pre-school teacher with over 20 years experience and a qualification in early childhood development (ECD) comments on the report:
“The teacher in the school allegedly in question did not give that student a fair chance, it takes a minimum of at least 2 weeks to settle a new child into any school environment and only then can you say you are just getting to know that child. On average children need a month before they show their true colours.”
She added:
“Unless the teacher in question is a qualified child psychologist or an occupational therapist, she cannot diagnose the child and suggest medication. She can only tell the parent that he displays symptoms of ADD or ADHD and suggest that he be assessed by a child psychologist or OT in order to determine if the teacher’s suspicions are correct.
What do you think about the case of the pre-school pariah?
By: Scott Dunlop