Mother walks from school to school to secure placement for bullied son
The mom walked from school to school to find placement for her son
Image: Tracy-Lynn Ruiters
A desperate mother said she was forced to walk from school to school in her area, demanding meetings with principals, after she allegedly received no meaningful assistance from her son’s school, the district education office or the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) following severe bullying incidents involving her teenage son.
The mother, whose Grade 10 son was previously enrolled at JG Meiring High School in Goodwood, told Weekend Argus she eventually took matters into her own hands to ensure her child was placed at a new school for the 2026 academic year.
“I decided to make appointments with every school in Belhar. I was very clear, I wanted to speak to the principal and nobody else,” she said.
At each school, she explained the circumstances that led her there and asked whether there was space for a Grade 11 learner. When told there was no place, she insisted on written confirmation.
“I demanded letters to state that the schools were full and unsubscribed. I felt I needed proof because I believed schools were not being honest,” she said.
“I told them I was building a case against the WCED and that I needed evidence that I had done my due diligence going from school to school, going to the department, and still not being helped.”
JG Meiring school is at the centre of an alleged bullying incident
Image: Maps
She said the reception to her approach was often hostile. “Their faces were not happy with me, but at that point I didn’t care. My child’s future was more important.”
After several unsuccessful attempts, she secured a placement at a school after a principal initially indicated there was no space, only for a vacancy to open days later. Her son began attending the school immediately, although he was required to change some subjects due to capacity constraints.
“I was okay with that. I just needed him in school,” she said. “My child is in a good school now. I’m happy.”
The ordeal began in 2024 when her son was allegedly attacked, robbed and intimidated by a large group of learners while at school. According to the teenager, he was confronted while selling snacks, accused of online behaviour he denied, assaulted, robbed of his money and choked during the incident.
“I honestly thought that was the end,” he said.
The incident escalated when he was allegedly pushed down a flight of stairs. The matter was reported to a teacher, and his mother was called to the school.
“I could see the fear in his eyes,” the mother said. “My child is not a fighter. I enrolled him at JG Meiring because I believed it was a safe school. Instead, he was broken emotionally and psychologically.”
She opened a case of assault and robbery with the police and engaged with the parents of some of the learners involved. While some apologised, she said the harassment did not stop after her son returned to school weeks later.
The mother said the continued intimidation severely affected her son’s mental wellbeing, prompting medical intervention and close family supervision.
“As a mother, that is my greatest fear,” she said. “No parent should ever feel like they have to choose between their child’s safety and their education.”
She further alleged that efforts to resolve the matter at school level were unsuccessful, claiming she was informed that the school did not have a functioning School Governing Body at the time to deal adequately with disciplinary processes.
WCED spokesperson Bronagh Hammond said the department’s records show that no formal transfer process was initiated.
“The parent did not request or apply for a transfer. No official application was made on the admission (SAMI) system for 2026,” Hammond said.
She added that the learner did not approach the district office or the circuit manager for placement assistance and remains registered at JG Meiring High School.
“The matter was addressed at school level in terms of disciplinary procedures and processes in line with the South African Schools Act. The sanction resulted in suspension, and the school has indicated that the alleged perpetrators did not return to school in 2026,” Hammond said.
The WCED advised that the parent may still contact the circuit manager for assistance with placement.
The mother said she would not consider sending her son back to JG Meiring, even though the alleged perpetrators were suspended and did not return in 2026.
“He doesn’t want to go back. He feels embarrassed. He asked me to find a school where there is no connection to those children. He wanted a fresh start somewhere nobody knows him,” she said.