The Antwerp City Education Board has suspended a nursery school teacher following an incident with a 5-year-old child at the De Leerexpert school in the Antwerp district of Deurne. De Leerexpert is a nursery and primary school for children with special educational needs. A disciplinary investigation has been launched and all parents of the children taught by the teacher that has been suspended have been informed.
Nursery school teacher suspended after incident with 5-year-old at school in Antwerp, disciplinary investigation underway
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The Antwerp City Education Board confirms that a complaint was received early this month from the parents of a 5-year-old at the school. “When we received the report, we immediately took a number of measures as we wish to provide a safe environment for pupils at our schools”, the Education Board’s Sofie De Keyser told VRT News.
“We immediately entered into dialogue with the parents. We also launched a disciplinary investigation against the teacher. In addition to this all the other parents have also been informed. They can contact the school if the have any questions”.
The daily ‘Gazet van Antwerpen’ reports that the child was physically abused by the teacher. He sustained an injury to and bleeding on his ear as well as bruises on his neck and on his left leg.
However, Ms De Keyser said that the City Education Board doesn’t wish to elaborate further on the nature what happened while the disciplinary investigation is still ongoing. In a response to claims by ‘Gazet van Antwerpen’ that the parents of 2 more children say that their child also sustained injuries while in the care of the teacher that is currently under investigation she says that “We have no knowledge of this. If this is the case we would ask the parents concerned to contact the management team at the school.’