SXMElections.com

CAY HILL--A couple describing themselves as very "angry parents" reported to The Daily Herald that their nine-year-old child, who attends Hillside Christian Schools Asha Stevens Campus, has been expelled, a decision with which they fervently disagree and say is not allowed under St. Maarten's stand on compulsory education.

The school has described a situation of uncooperative parents and disruptive and dangerous behaviour by the pupil, stating that action is needed for both his safety and that of other pupils.

Amongst other warnings, the pupil was suspended for aggressive behaviour near the end of the last school year. The school set a condition for return that psychological evaluation and counselling should be sought by the parents, and proof of said help provided to the school.

This condition was not met and the move to expel followed a subsequent, more serious incident last week during which the pupil hit his brother, kicked and hit other pupils with various objects and climbed onto the railing of a third floor corridor, holding on to a downspout and screaming.

This followed a list of documented complaints the school had reported about the pupil, his brother who is said to behave differently when separated from him, the parents who reportedly have abused staff verbally and refused psychiatric help for the children, as well as an aunt who reportedly assaulted/threatened school staff both verbally and physically. The school also has described a "troubled household."

The school's General Director Asha Stevens said the school had been in contact with the relevant authorities to request urgent assistance, but follow-up had not been effective.

She pointed out that it was a very rare case and that Hillside Christian Schools had never expelled a pupil in their 40-year existence. She said she did not want to this pupil out, but the other pupils were being put in harm's way with the situation.

Parents also have expressed concern, one of them even threatening to publicise the situation if the school did not handle it.

The parents, who called this newspaper to report the expulsion, said they knew the child was "no angel" but it was wrong to expel a nine-year-old, it would mean no other school would want to take him, and the school would complain later if he became a criminal.

The mother insisted that they never had heard from the school that the child had, for example, brought in a knife or used sharp objects on fellow pupils. She also said she first had opposed the child seeing a "shrink," as did the father, according to the school, but that she had let him go once or twice. In an invited comment she said that if the school took her child back she would "of course let him go" to counselling.

Although the school said she had agreed to separate the two brothers because of their constant fighting, she told the newspaper, "They're not separating my children." The parents maintain that every child can be rude and have problems, but that he is only nine. The parents said the school was picking on their children and had been for a long time.

The child reportedly told the parents he had climbed on the railings only because the other children had locked him out of the classroom.

In the meantime, the expulsion was deemed not to be valid as is, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports and Youth Affairs (ECSY) Inspection Division said, because legally, a pupil cannot be expelled until it has been ensured that another school is willing to admit him or her.

The Inspectorate will meet with all relevant stakeholders today, including the pupils' parents, to find a solution. In an invited comment, Inspector Marie Gittens said that with compulsory education in place, "all parties need to comply."