Paul Appleton removed his son from Year 7 at Maitland Tutorial Centre, Telarah, following an incident where his son was hit on the head by another student yesterday.

Mr Appleton said it was the last straw following several previous incidents since the school year started, and a history of bullying involving the boy at East Maitland Public School.

“One kid wedged him over a table and a Year 11 boy said he was going to smash his teeth in,” he said.

“Then (yesterday) we get a call from the Department of Education (to say) that he’s been hit in the back of the head, and did we want them to call an ambulance or come to get him?

“I said I would come and get him.

“And he is not going back to school until (the department) sorts something out.”

A department spokesman confirmed that the incident occurred yesterday and the perpetrator had been suspended.

The spokesman said the other student had been suspended twice before for name calling, and Mr Appleton’s son had been warned for inciting.

Mr Appleton also reported the incident to police.

But he was critical of the department’s referral to send his son to Maitland Tutorial Centre for high school in the first place.

He said he had tried to enrol his son at All Saint’s College, St Joseph’s campus, Lochinvar, but his grades were not good enough.

Mr Appleton said he understood the tutorial centre was for students with learning difficulties, but later learned it was for students with behavioural issues.

He said his son had missed months of school last year because of bullying, and the latest incident meant he would fall further behind.

But he said he felt he had no choice but to pull his son out of school to take a stand against the department.

“You can’t go to school and concentrate when you’re worrying about being belted,” Mr Appleton said.

“I’m concerned for his safety – some of these kids (who attend the school) are huge.

“He doesn’t mind putting his head down and learning.

“I want my kids to get somewhere in life – I don’t want them to be stuck with one job.”