School bullying probe

REPORTS of bullying at a small rural primary school are being investigated by Education Queensland.

Complaints of punching, kicking and hair pulling have been made by parents of Mt Tarampa State School students, with some families removing their children from the school.

The school, about 40km north-west of Ipswich, is being investigated after parents said nothing was done about the complaints by the school's principal or teachers.

One mother said she removed her daughter from the school after six months of bullying and more than six visits to the school and two calls to EQ.

“I was basically told on the second phone call to the department that, because I had removed my child from the school, there was no longer an issue,” she said.

“But the reality is I had to remove my child because nothing was being done. The bullying was so bad that she would come home from school with bruises.

“I had no other option but to take her out of the school.”

A teacher, who cannot be named, said she left the school after a year because her concerns about student bullying fell on “deaf ears”.

An Education Queensland (EQ) spokesperson yesterday said cases known to the school have been or are currently being investigated by the department and action was being taken where appropriate.

“Education Queensland does not tolerate any form of bullying or violence and all allegations of this nature are taken seriously and investigated as a matter of high priority,” the spokesperson said.

“All Queensland state schools are committed to promoting safe and supportive learning environments for all students through the Code of School Behaviour and the individual schools' Responsible Behaviour Plans.

“These plans outline individual school expectations and consequences if the expectations are not met. This may include disciplinary action if necessary.”

The spokesperson said EQ was unable to comment on individual cases for privacy reasons.

EQ said they encouraged any parent who had concerns about specific incidents to contact the principal.