A Launceston father is calling for more action against bullying in schools after his 12-year-old son was physically and racially abused by his peers.
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The father of the Riverside High School student detailed the racial slurs his year 7 son had experienced as well as the physical attacks, which included his son's head being slammed into a locker.
He said his son came home in tears after receiving a threatening voicemail, prompting him to tell his parents what had happened.
"He got that message and he just said 'if I'm not here anymore I won't get bullied'," the father said.
"No one should ever have to go through this ... they can't just sweep this under the rug."
The family arranged a meeting with school staff to discuss the alleged bullying.
However, the father said they were not satisfied with the response and have since filed a complaint to the Education Department.
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His son has not returned to school since February 28 and they are now exploring private school options. The father said more needs to be done to address bullying.
"The bullies get to go to school like nothing's happened ... that's not fair, that's not right," he said.
"At the end of the day I want to make sure something is done because they can't just get away with this.
"I don't know what you do in this type of situation, I'm not an expert but the schools are supposed to be."
The Education Department would not comment on the specific case or provide details on how the school was dealing with the bullying allegations.
A spokesperson said they would respond "appropriately" to bad behaviour to maintain a safe and respectful environment.
"The [department] is aware of this situation and is offering continued support to the student and family," they said.
"Providing safe learning environments in our government schools is a priority.
"All allegations of inappropriate behaviour in schools are taken very seriously and immediately investigated in accordance with relevant departmental policies and procedures."
The father said as parents they were also struggling to cope with the situation and felt powerless. After turning to social media to share their experience, they received more than 350 comments offering support or similar stories.
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