School let my son run away

DISAPPOINTED: Glenn Howard is upset with Ipswich State high School for allowing his son to be taken out of school by son's grandfather.

Sarah Keayes/ Queensland Times

A FATHER is furious that an Ipswich school unwittingly helped his son run away from home and flee to Townsville.

Glenn Howard said he cannot fathom why Ipswich State High School never called him when his 15-year-old son Cameron Howard was picked up at the school's reception deck by his grandfather, Joe O'Brien.

The pair claimed they were going to have lunch, but instead they drove to Townsville where Mr O'Brien lived.

“I'm Cameron's sole guardian, so how could the school not call me when someone comes to pick him up?” Mr Howard said.

“Joe told the school he just wanted to take Cameron out for lunch, and they said 'Sure, here he is, off ya go'.

“They didn't know who that man was. It could have been anyone picking him up.”

Mr Howard said he had no idea his son wanted to live with his grandfather, but he had been arguing with Cameron recently over whether he should stay in school.

“He was failing a few subjects so I said he should do an apprenticeship instead of grades 11 and 12, which he was pretty annoyed about,” Mr Howard said.

“I didn't think he'd get his grandfather to help him run away from home though.”

Education Queensland admitted the incident was being reviewed, and the school's processes for letting students from school grounds may change as a result.

“Other than in exceptional circumstances, students are not permitted to leave school grounds without approval of the school principal and the consent of a parent or guardian,” an Education Queensland spokeswoman said.

“In addition, the school will review its processes in relation to the handling of this matter.”

Cameron's mother passed away when he was two and Mr Howard had been his sole guardian ever since.

Police would not comment on the incident.

Mr O'Brien confirmed that he took Cameron away to Townsville and said the past few weeks had been trying for the family.

“I picked up Cameron from the school last Tuesday and we stayed in Ipswich overnight while he thought about what he wanted to do, and then we headed to Townsville the next day,” Mr O'Brien said.

“I just want this to be a happy and comfortable place for Cameron to stay.

“It's a really hard time for Cameron and Glenn at the moment.”

Cameron is believed to have told a teacher he was not getting along with his father and resented his strict discipline.

“I was harsh on him, definitely,” Mr Howard said. “I took his play station and other things away from him when he did poorly at school, and made him write lines when he misbehaved, but I never mistreated him.”

The incident occurred last Tuesday, October 5, and Mr Howard contacted the police the next day.

“I won't be pressing charges. He turns 16 in six months time and police said there was little point in forcing him to come home,” Mr Howard said.

“Its not like my son's going to be hurt, he's safe, but I still really want him to live with me.”