Parents start pitch battle with school over son's camping ban

Published on Wednesday 29 April 2009 09:53

THE parents of a 12-year-old boy have vowed to keep their son out of school until teachers allow him to go on a camping trip with his classmates.

Graham and Marcia McCann have withdrawn their son David from Nether Currie Primary until teachers reverse their decision to ban him from the three-night stay at school camp.

They claim the school is discriminating against their son because he has behavioural problems, which they say are directly linked to his learning difficulties.

He has been banned from staying overnight at the camp at Dounans Centre in Aberfoyle because of his behaviour, although the school's headteacher has offered to take him up in the morning and bring him back at the end of each day.

Mr McCann, from Riccarton Crescent in Currie, says this will only single David out and he is furious with the school as his son has been looking forward to the trip. He says the school only made him aware of their issue with David last Friday.

The 45-year-old said: "He is not allowed to stay overnight with his friends and the school is wanting him to look like an idiot being driven in by the headmistress every day. That is not an option. It's disgusting discrimination.

"We have paid the money for this trip and have been to all the meetings but at no time did they say they had any concerns about David going. He is devastated and has been in tears over this."

Mr McCann, a self-employed joiner, added: "He is out of education now because we took him out the school.

"He will not be back in education until he goes to high school in August unless the school sorts this out."

Mr and Mrs McCann admit that their son's behaviour can be difficult, but say that he is never violent towards staff or pupils.

He suffers from dyslexia and gets frustrated by not being able to read and write as well as his classmates, which manifests itself in bad behaviour in the classroom.

But they don't believe he should be punished for having problems linked to his learning difficulties.

Mrs McCann, 45, said: "To turn round a week before David was due to go to camp and say he can't go is unacceptable.

"He is not a disruptive child and he isn't a threat to other children.

"They have decided before he has even gone that he is going to misbehave and didn't give him a chance to prove that he can behave."

The camp is designed for all primary seven pupils within the Currie Community High School's catchment area so they can meet each other before they start secondary school.

The city council confirmed that the school's decision not to allow David to stay overnight at the camp was due to "recent behavioural reasons".

A spokesman added: "If a child is taken out of school for no good reason then we would take appropriate steps at the time."