Thread by @ChildrenOfFire

We received email advertising today about #bullying. Pertinent though useless. Bullying is accepted at the highest level. Today our Mum was bullied by a school principal refusing to accept a pupil because he is "too ugly; parents will complain" @DBE_SA

The same man at a #Johannesburg based school within walking distance of our AucklandPark home, 3 times this morning falsely accused our Mum of lying; & he complained that she was not black. "Your Director has a black name". She apologised for not being black

He continued "I have been a Principal for 40 years.." she responded "I have run a school for 21 years. Is it a competition?" He said "the child does not belong in a mainstream school" She said "He belongs in mainstream society; he has that right"

The Principal said "I have gangsters at my school. I do not have time to mediate when parents say "why are you exposing my child to this?" By *this* he means a boy who survived fire at age 6 days old, who has a damaged hand and eye but can write and see

We had applied to 3 schools as @DBE_SA requires. Roosevelt and ParktownBoys rejected the child on space grounds. Now the Principal wants us to run around begging at other schools again; meanwhile the boy is falling further behind as he's not in school

The Principal said coldly "My Director told me not to accept the child". Mum asked: "Who is your Director?" He would not answer, would not say if the person was on the School Governing Body or was a Gauteng Education Department official @DBE_SA

The Principal said "You will cause the child extreme pain and humiliation." Our Mum said: "To move in society with #scars, we daily suffer #pain and humiliation. I cannot shield him forever from how you are." @AshrafGarda @DBE_SA @GautengHealth

As she left the school, weeping, pupils approached her and asked to help. At the first meeting with the Principal, our Mum had asked to address the whole school about #disability and #disfigurement, but she has not been given that opportunity @DBE_SA

For THIRTY ONE continuous years, our #burned children have been shunned and rejected because of their appearance. It is TIME for #SouthAfrican educators to learn; to stop depriving people of basic human rights @AshrafGarda @DBE_SA @SAfmRadio @Chriseldalewis