Bullying is not tolerated at Dubbo College's Delroy Campus and students with special needs are fully supported at the school, a NSW Department of Education spokesperson says.
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Well-being of all students was a priority, the spokesperson told the Daily Liberal after it made inquiries about a parent's concern bullying complaints were not handled effectively.
The parent, who wished to remain anonymous, claimed their daughter was bullied from 2016 to 2018. Despite attempts by the school to stop the bullying, the parent claims it went on until the victim physically assaulted the alleged perpetrators.
"I would go to the school and have meetings and tell them what was going on," the parent claimed. "It was dealt with to a point, but the school should have done more to stop it in the beginning."
The parent believes their daughter's education and mental health suffered because of the bullying.
"She became withdrawn, depressed and didn't want to come out of her room," they said. "She didn't want to socialise with friends and didn't even want to sit in the lounge room with family."
The parent claimed that in 2016 a knife was found in the bag of another student who allegedly threatened to stab their child.
When asked to respond to the parent's claim, the Department of Education spokesperson said the school's records indicated students found in possession of a knife were "strongly disciplined according to the school's disciplinary code which is developed in consultation with the community".
"While the school regularly reported serious matters to police in 2016, reporting is now an integral part of procedures when any serious incident occurs," the spokesperson said.
The parent claimed the school struggled to handle students with challenging behaviour, including their son who had disabilities.
The Department of Education spokesperson said staff at the school were not overwhelmed and "dedicate considerable efforts to supporting the well-being of students and their families".
The Daily Liberal was told multiple parents at Delroy Campus have concerns about the way bullying complaints are handled and support provided to victims.
They declined to comment because they feared it would adversely affect their childrens well-being at school.