The battle for support: a Grade 11 learner's experience with Turner syndrome and bullying
The young lady is currently at a mainstream school
Image: Google Maps
At 18 years old, she should be focused on finishing school, planning her future and discovering who she wants to be. Instead, she is fighting every day just to survive a system that, her mother said, has repeatedly failed to see her, hear her, or protect her.
The Grade 11 learner, currently enrolled at a high school in Mitchells Plain, has struggled academically and emotionally since primary school. While she is passing her grades, her mother said she is not coping and not reaching her full potential.
“She knows she’s trying her best, but she also knows she’s falling behind,” her mother said. “That disappointment sits with her every day.”
The teenager has Turner syndrome, a genetic condition that affects physical development and learning. She is significantly shorter than her peers, has visible physical differences, and processes information more slowly than others her age. Doctors have repeatedly recommended that she be placed in a specialised school or a school of skills, where she could learn at her own pace in an environment designed to support her needs. That placement has never materialised.
Instead, she remains in a mainstream school where her differences have made her a target.
According to her mother, the learner has experienced ongoing bullying. In one incident, she was allegedly physically assaulted. The family only discovered what had happened after noticing a visible handprint on her face. The matter was reported to SAPS in Mitchells Plain, but the family said they are still awaiting progress.
The school, they allege, said it would handle the matter internally. The family said they were never formally called in or given feedback.
“She doesn’t complain,” her mother said. “She sees everyone the same way. She doesn’t tell on people. That’s who she is.”
The learner also uses a hearing aid, but her mother says she often leaves it at home out of fear it will be damaged or taken by other learners. As a result, she struggles to hear in class, compounding her academic difficulties.
Medical specialists have repeatedly asked whether she has been placed in a specialised school. Letters have been written. Assessments have been done. Still, nothing has changed.
“She tries. She really does,” her mother said. “But she needs specialised help — a place where she feels safe, where she can be herself, where she doesn’t feel different.”
The family said they have contacted the Western Cape Education Department countless times, requesting assistance and appointments at district level. They describe standing in long lines, being turned away, and never getting clear answers.
“They are failing our children especially the ones who need help the most,” the mother said. “And it’s not just my child. There are so many others like her.”
Beyond the academic struggle, the mother said she is deeply worried about her daughter’s emotional wellbeing. She describes a child who is no longer the same - quieter, withdrawn, carrying a weight she cannot always explain.
“My biggest fear is that she feels like she’s a disappointment,” she said. “As her mother, I can see that she is not okay.”
Despite everything, the teenager has one clear goal: she wants to finish matric.
“I will not allow a system to determine her future,” her mother said. “She deserves to finish school in a safe environment, at her own pace, where she can learn without fear.”
The child, she adds, understands, communicates, and dreams she simply needs support that matches her reality.
Responding to the concerns raised, Western Cape Education Department spokesperson Millicent Merton said the learner in question does not currently reflect on the Metro South Education District database.
She said the district has nevertheless agreed to intervene. “Metro South Education District has agreed to send a psychologist to investigate, liaise with the school and establish the learner’s support needs,” Merton said.
Addressing questions around how learners with conditions such as Turner syndrome are assessed and placed when they are not coping in mainstream schools, Merton said the department follows the nationally prescribed SIAS (Screening, Identification, Assessment and Support) process.
“The SIAS process is in place to identify learners who need additional support. The district conducts assessments for learners who are identified as experiencing barriers to learning, and these assessments help determine the learner’s support needs,” she explained.
She said where a learner is identified as having very high support needs and meets the criteria for placement in a special school, the referral pathway is followed, subject to the availability of space. “Alternatively, the learner remains in a public ordinary school and additional support is provided to the school,” Merton said, adding that where individualised support is required, a facilitator may be assigned to assist the learner.
On allegations of bullying and assault, Merton said the WCED takes such matters seriously, particularly when they involve vulnerable learners.
“Reported matters are investigated by the District Based Support Team (DBST). Schools are expected to follow the necessary disciplinary processes in line with their code of conduct,” she said. “Support is put in place for the learner, including counselling, which is the responsibility of the psychologist within the Circuit Based Support Team.”
She added that support is also provided to perpetrators through social workers, and that the district runs anti-bullying awareness campaigns, child protection programmes and staff training. “The district also has a Positive Behaviour and Resource Centre that renders support,” she said.
Merton said parents who report repeated difficulties accessing district-level support are entitled to engage directly with senior officials. “When a parent visits the district office to report a lack of support, the Head: SLES, Senior Psychologist or Senior Social Worker will meet with the parent to discuss the matter. In some cases, the full DBST may also meet with the parent,” she said.
If assessments or counselling are required, she said the necessary support would be provided and followed up with the school principal to ensure correct referral processes are followed.
Regarding immediate interventions, Merton said the district social worker and psychologist would be visiting the school as a matter of urgency. “They will investigate the learner’s safety and wellbeing and explore whether the environment is suitable,” she said.
She added that referrals to the DBST are responded to within 72 hours. “The necessary support is then put in place,” she said, noting that learners with very high support needs are prioritised for placement once the SIAS process has been completed.
When asked how many similar cases have been reported to the WCED in recent years, Merton said the question was not entirely clear and appeared to reference data that may not be immediately available, requesting further clarity.
She encouraged parents facing similar challenges to seek assistance. “The WCED is always willing to assist parents who need guidance and support. Parents can reach out to their nearest district office for support,” she said.