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Mbabane – A 12-year-old boy chose to end his life after being tortured by school bullies.
The boy, a pupil at a primary school near Pigg’s Peak, committed suicide on Sunday after allegedly being relentlessly bullied by classmates and a school official. Some residents living near the school said the incident highlighted the devastating impact bullying can have on young people’s lives. According to information gathered by Eswatini News, the boy hanged himself in the kitchen of his home while his siblings were watching TV. His father Jack confirmed the incident, saying he was devastated and shocked. Jack said that although his son was upset, he did not leave any note or message to anyone.
Jack revealed that the boy had simply told his siblings that he was going to the toilet but was later found hanged in the kitchen. He was said to have climbed up the stove and then hanged himself from the rafters. The deceased’s father said he blamed the bullying his son had suffered. Speaking on the eve of the tragedy, Jack revealed that the bullying incident was caused by a teacher calling his son a “dwarf chicken” during class. The teacher compared his son’s short stature to a dwarf chicken, and the nickname quickly spread in the class. It is said that within a few days, even children in other classes began to call his son a dwarf.
Jack revealed that his son reported the matter to him because he was embarrassed by the nickname. “I then decided to approach the school authorities so that we could resolve the issue,” Jack said. He said that when he spoke to an official at the school, they apologized to him and assured him that the teacher would also be informed of the complaint. He then said he asked if he could be allowed to see the teacher but was told that was not possible.
teacher
Jack said his son’s teacher later told other students not to call the deceased “midget”. Although the school apologized and asked students to stop using the word, the bullying did not stop. Jack explained that the ordeal had severely damaged his son’s mental health. In addition to being verbally abused, the boy was also humiliated by school officials publicly mentioning that he had not paid for the school trip, which was understood to cost up to €800. The deceased’s father also confirmed that the school’s study abroad fees had not been paid, and revealed that in addition to his son’s study abroad fees, two other children in the family were facing the same dilemma.
It is worth noting that school trips are a common event at this time of year, with students eagerly looking forward to visiting various destinations. One of the most popular school trip destinations is Durban, South Africa, where students have the opportunity to visit theme parks and other attractions. However, for families struggling to make ends meet, the cost of paying for such trips can be devastating. The boy’s death has sparked grief and anger in the community, with some parents calling on school authorities to investigate bullying at the school.
In addition, a guardian raised concerns about bullying at the school, not only by students but also by teachers, and claimed that she was forced to remove her child from the school because of the bullying and enroll him in another school in the Pigg’s Peak area. Meanwhile, Assistant Superintendent of Police, Information and Communications Officer, Nosipho Mnguni, confirmed the death of the 12-year-old, who was said to have committed suicide. Mnguni did not reveal the exact cause that led to the suicide.
Apologize
Meanwhile, the school principal said in an interview that he had met with the student’s father, who had contacted the school at the time. The principal said the school had carefully considered the matter and apologized to the parents. He also said the matter had also been conveyed to the teacher who the parents were upset about. However, the principal refuted allegations from some parents that bullying was rampant at the school, saying he was not aware of any bullying incidents and no other reports had been made to the school except from parents of students who had recently reported the incident to the school.
* Real names are not used to protect the dignity of the family.
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