Parent speaks out about treatment of her ADHD suffering son at another Bathurst School

In circumstances sounding similar to the debacle at Carenne Special School, a parent of a student at Bathurst West Public School has contacted Carenne Gate to complain about the treatment of her ADHD suffering son by the school's staff and principal Toni MacDonald.

The parent claims that she was told sometime ago that her son would have to be medicated as the school did not have the resources to deal with them in an effective manner by teacher Debbie Barratt. The mother said that she then spoke to her child's pediatrician who told her that her son could be put on the drug Ritalin but advised against it as his ADHD was mild.

When the parent told Mrs Barratt this, she said that unless he was medicated he wouldn't be allowed to come to school. The mother, concerned about her son then asked the doctor to provide her with the medication.

After seeing a deterioration in her son's condition, the mother then went back to the pediatrician who suggested that the student be taken off the medication. The parent told Mrs Barratt the plan and she said she wasn't comfortable with it but would comply with the request.

"Even though she said she agreed, Mrs Barratt and Mrs MacDonald kept giving him the medication, I don't know where they got it from because I wasn't sending any with my son. They must have taken it from another student and given it to my son," the upset mother told Carenne Gate.

The mother then spoke to Mrs Barratt and told her that she had found out they were still giving her son Ritalin, even though they were told he was being taken off it. The student's mother was told that principal Toni MacDonald had to approve for the student to be taken off the medication. When the parent spoke to Mrs MacDonald she was told that if her son was taken off Ritalin that he would not be able to attend the school for two weeks and if he turned up, she would send him home.

"How can these people tell me what to do with my child? How can they tell me that he has to be on medication when his doctor doesn't agree? When did they go to medical school?" the mother asked.

It would appear that staff in the Western Region of DET believe they know better than doctors and parents and will continue to threaten parents to force them to do what they want.

Victimisation against staff who speak out emerges in other Western Region Schools

Allegations that staff who speak out against the Department of Education and Training in the Western Region of NSW are victimised having done so have emerged following incidents at Kelso Public School, West Bathurst Public School and Dubbo College. They claim that those close to regional director Carole McDiarmid are responsible for the victimisation.

Staff at West Bathurst Public School were told they face possible disciplinary action if they speak out about a number of serious issues at that school.

At Dubbo College, the NSW Teacher's Federation claimed that there was a better chance of being listened to rather than being dismissed as a group of people who were complaining for the sake of complaining when the minister became involved than when they were dealing with senior DET officials. As with the Carenne Special School, those who speak out against the department at Dubbo College must remain anonymous to avoid retribution from senior DET officials.

It appears there are very serious problems with the Western Region DET.