Teachers Ask Alfie Durant, 6, To Remove Hearing Aid For School Photo
A mother has hit out after her six-year-old son was told to remove his hearing aid for an official school photograph.
Alfie Durant’s mother, Kerri, says he was left ’embarrassed and upset’ after being taken to the school office at Middlesbrough’s Pallister Park Primary to have his hearing aid taken off.
The school has now apologised over the move, which has left the schoolboy ashamed to wear the hearing aid around his classmates.
Alfie’s mother, a restaurant supervisor, said she became suspicious that something had happened when her son refused to put his hearing aid on the morning after the school photo shoot.
‘He said he was embarrassed to wear it in front of his classmates,’ she said.
A few days later, when her son returned from school with the photo proofs, she was angry to see he was not wearing his hearing aid.
She said: ‘He told me the school told him to take it off for the photo so he would look smart.
‘I phoned the school and spoke to the special educational needs officer who said they made a decision that I would want his aid off for the photograph.
‘I feel my son has been discriminated against because of his disability and would like people to know how he is treated.
‘Alfie suffers a lot with his condition but he is such a brave lad. He should be accepted as he is.’
Chris Wain, headteacher at Pallister Park Primary School, said: ‘Alfie is a beautiful little boy and takes a gorgeous picture whatever he is wearing.
‘Indeed, we have lovely photos of him on our website with his hearing aid on. The school photograph sessions saw our visiting photographer take 600 pictures over two days and we do our very best to ensure that parents are pleased with the photos they receive.
‘There was obviously no intent to cause any offence by either any member of our staff or the photographer, and we have already apologised to Alfie’s mum for any upset caused.
‘Perhaps we could have taken one picture with and one without, but hindsight is a wonderful thing and we will be sure to keep Alfie’s hearing aid in place when next year’s pictures are taken and we can only apologise again.’
Same Difference 
apologies wont heal that child’s memories of this. wearing or using any disability aids is hard enough to get used to even for us older end, but a child may carry negativeness like this around inside for his lifetime. surely teachers are taught to be sympathetic towards these children and in these circumstances.its the child should have been thought of not what the parents might think. all to make a bob or two for the school. if it didn’t they wouldn’t have school pics taken.shows how much the teachers knew that child.are they only robots to be taught? not human beings these days?
LikeLiked by 1 person
GRRRR it was bad enough when I was a child with that attitude, I had hoped this would never happen again. Hearing aids are not cosmetic, they are a lifeline. I remember at 5 years old (in 1965) being extremely frustrated because I wasn’t allowed to wear my hearing aid (and they were big body aids in those days) to be a bridesmaid and I remember the whole ceremony, not being able to follow what was going on. Luckily in MY school photos I was never ever asked to take my hearing aid off. Plus I would have kicked up a tantrum had it happened. My late mother split up with her sister because her sister didn’t want me to have my hearing aid on in public and I got upset at that so they didn’t talk to each other for four years! They made up later with my aunt apologising. I am just so sorry for this laddie – just wish I could go and build up his confidence again. Going to share with my BSL Level 3 students. This attitude stinks.
LikeLike