An angry parent said she had to withdraw her son from a public school over what she claimed were ineffectual responses to bullying.

The parent of the 11-year-old said she felt no recourse other than to transfer the boy from Dellwood Middle School after harassment in March culminated in another student threatening to “kill” her son in front of other students.

“The school does not have control over the students or the property,” the woman, who requested not to be named, claimed. “It’s got too many entrances and not enough security for it to be safe.”

A spokeswoman from the Department of Education conceded there were “some concerns about security, as Dellwood Middle School is an open campus”.

The department also highlighted its commitment to “creating a safe and inclusive learning environment”, to “foster a culture of understanding and compassion and to empower our students to stand up against antisocial behaviour”.

Specific situations could not be commented upon for confidentiality reasons, the department added.

The parent’s bullying complaint was lodged after a confrontation, on March 22, in which she said two M3 students at the Pembroke school, who did not know her son, set upon the boy and “shook him down” for money, gripping him and turning out his pockets.

Her son had difficulties communicating the matter to teachers but the woman said she reported it to school officials that evening and that her son in the meantime had gone to a teacher for help.

“I assume they singled him out because he is different,” the woman said. “He has a speech impediment and it takes a while for him to get his story out.”

She claimed Dellwood Middle School “dragged its feet” in looking into the matter, which she reported to police with the support of a school staff member.

On April 4, two boys were suspended, but briefly, and on April 6 she said her son was confronted by one of the boys in the school, who called him a “snitch” and then threatened to kill him in front of other students.

She said a school official secured her son in an office and urged her to collect the boy, telling her the other child had been “very aggressive”.

The woman added that her child, who started at the Pembroke school in September, was unsafe there and there had been “no consequences for the actions” of the youngsters who bullied him.

Instead, the school offered mediation, which the mother said “was a farce, and it came a week and a half late”.

After several weeks of her child doing his schoolwork at home, the woman said she had him enrolled at another middle school.

She added: “So far, my experience with them has been a breath of fresh air.”

The woman said her son had been repeatedly harassed during the year at Dellwood but that she had been left with the impression staff were unable to protect the boy, leaving him “walking on eggshells”.

The Department of Education responded: “We empathise with parents’ concerns when their children are targets of antisocial behaviour at school.

“Such situations can be traumatic and emotionally charged, and while we have a number of approaches to address them, we would respect a parent's decision to choose a different pathway.

“We encourage parents who have residual concerns and/or seek clarity about our handling of any issue to remain in dialogue with us.”

The department said its first step to address a conflict was “a restorative circle to which parents and students involved would be invited”.

Counselling and conflict mediation would also be offered to students where appropriate.

The department said: “Those who engage in antisocial behaviour could be referred to relevant agencies and alternative placements, if necessary, so that the campus remains a safe place for all, and students’ needs are met as appropriate”.

However, removal of a student from a school would depend on the “specifics of the situation”, including scenarios in which “the student was faced with imminent physical harm or threats and the aggressor had not been located or contained”.

“Students who exhibit behaviour indicating they were a danger to themselves or others would also be removed from the situation. It is not unusual to remove both parties to a conflict for a cooling-off period.”

However, the parent of the youngster said she felt the school’s efforts fell short. “I just feel like they let it slide,” she added.