The mother of a boy who was attacked at Ashburton College last week says she fears her son's long-term health will be at risk.
Last Friday, her 14-year-old son, who is in the ninth grade, was seriously assaulted by another student in the class.
Nandita said that during a nutrition and diet class that afternoon, another student had repeatedly called her son the N-word, and that this happened in two incidents.
She said her son asked him to stop, and that during the second incident he pushed him away and told the boy to stop calling him that.
The other boy then began to hit and kick her son.
She said her son fell to the ground and hit his head, and when the teacher came to him, he lost consciousness.
Nandita said she received a call from the school saying her son had to go to the hospital to have his head examined.
“So we rushed to the hospital and the condition we saw of my son, oh my God, it was really unbelievable. He was lying on the bed, his face was really swollen, his body was shaking and he couldn't even open his eyes. But when he heard the voice of his mother and father, he burst into tears.”
She said he was still suffering from the injuries, with headaches, dizziness, decreased strength in his left side, loss of appetite and a sore jaw.
Nandita said they showed the medical report to a friend who is a doctor, who warned of possible side effects in the future.
She has a migrant visa and is due to return to Fiji in January next year, and says she is concerned about her son's long-term health care.
She said she couldn't even think about when he would be able to go back to school until they had a better understanding of the health implications.
The incident has been reported to police, but it is not yet known whether charges will be filed.
Ashburton College has said the behaviour is completely unacceptable and goes against everything the school stands for.
Simon Coleman, principal of Ashburton College, said the boy responsible has been sent home and the school is following its disciplinary action.
The student who attacked Nandita's son had no history of bullying and none of the students who witnessed the attack had heard the N-word being used.
Coleman said the school fully supported the family's decision to report the incident to police.
Ashburton College has been the subject of several reports of fighting and bullying recently.
Last year, two intense fights were filmed.
The school confirmed [ https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/500495/two-schoolyard-fights-caught-… it was aware of the recent fights] and disciplinary action had been taken.
In September 2022, the school board said [ https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/475587/ashburton-college-provides-re… media reports about bullying allegations] were not a fair reflection of the school.
The case followed a 1News investigation into the culture at the school, which found that more than a dozen families reported their children faced ongoing violence and threats.
The allegations spanned a period of 10 years. However, the chairman of the school board believed that the problems that arose were being dealt with appropriately.