A mother from Table View is desperately trying to get her daughter into a school to finish her matric after the daughter was expelled from her private school due to extortion.

The mother said that her 17-year-old daughter was expelled from Reddam House Atlantic Seaboard in Greenpoint, where the father is a teacher, after asking her “large group of friends” for money to help around the house as the family was facing financial difficulty.

She added that over the period of two months her daughter accumulated around R5 000 in total.

The mother explains: “She got expelled, because she asked her friends and their parents for money unbeknownst to us as her parents. She'd tell them it's to help us because we were struggling really bad financially as there were times we would go to bed without food.

“That is not an excuse because we would make sure that the children do not know about our struggle.

“But somehow, she found out probably because she is the eldest and she thought she would take it upon herself to alleviate our burden but she never told us about it. She would tell us she got it from her boyfriend or grandmother.

“She in turn used the money to buy stuff she needed for school, to help top up her and her three siblings' bus tickets, she would buy bread, eggs, electricity and so on.”

The mother said that her daughter was expelled mid-February when one learner went to complain.

She explains: “The school saw it as blackmail and extortion. Now my daughter has been at home just over a month, tried to commit suicide as she believes that our lives would be better without her in it. My daughter is depressed, she's not eating anymore and she believes that she's a failure.

“She's really good at soccer, she excels academically. She made a mistake out of desperation because we were struggling financially.”

The mother said that she tried to apply at numerous government schools in the area but was told that they do not accept learners in Grade 12.

Shelley Carroll from Reddam House says: “The school addressed the matter after receiving formal complaints from several sources. The situation was handled in accordance with the school's well-established code of conduct, utilizing independent and experienced chairpersons throughout the process.

“We do not take decisions like this lightly, but given the severity of the matter, it was necessary to act accordingly. The Head of the school has been active in supporting the student, contacting other schools to find a suitable alternative educational environment.”

Spokesperson to Western Cape Minister of Education David Maynier, Kerry Mauchline, said that they encourage any parent who wishes to submit an extremely late application for the current school year to approach their district office admissions officials for assistance.

Mauchline adds: “Please note that schools are full and the schools listed are in high demand for placement, which limits their ability to accommodate extremely late transfer applicants.

“The Department will strive to assist parents with a suitable transfer option.”