Outrage As Parents Sign Petition For School To Remove Girl With Down Syndrome From Their Kids Class

Parents have signed a petition for a school to remove a girl with Down syndrome from their children’s class, prompting widespread outrage.

The incident took place at the Bashkimi Primary School in the city of Gostivar, which is located in the Polog Valley region of North Macedonia.

Ambla Ademi, 11, who has Down syndrome, reportedly enjoys going to school with her peers, but her classmates’ parents appear to have a problem with this.

Ambla Ademi from Gostivar, Macedonia, for who parents sign petition the school to remove her from the class, because she has Down Syndrome. (Newsflash)

They claim that Ambla is aggressive towards their children, and a petition signed by a large number of them states: “Due to the obstruction of teaching by the student Ambla Ademi, and due to her aggressiveness, we as parents have made a decision for the regular students to boycott the school.”

Despite her parents’ attempts for her to continue her education with these so-called “regular students”, Ambla has ended up alone in a large gymnasium, following the ultimatum from the other students’ parents to the school administration.

The principal of the Bashkimi Primary School, named as Zijadin Nuredini, reportedly said: “After the meeting with the boycotting parents, we agreed with all the parents, with Ambla’s parents, with the person in charge of education and ourselves as an institution, that she will not attend all classes together [with the other pupils], for now, we are only keeping physical education, music and art education as classes [she will have] with the other students. The other classes will be with the assistant she has.”

Ambla Ademi from Gostivar, Macedonia, for who parents sign petition the school to remove her from the class, because she has Down Syndrome. (Newsflash)

Ambla’s father, Ilir Ademi, said a “compromise” to temporarily separate the youngster from her peers was taken “three or four years ago, and then the idea was to integrate her with her other classmates”.

He added: “She studied in a large gymnasium and was heated only by a small radiator.”

Ilir Ademi says that his daughter has had an education assistant since September, but often had to change classes and teachers, which is quite tiring for a child with special needs.

Ambla Ademi (right) from Gostivar, Macedonia, for who parents sign petition the school to remove her from the class, because she has Down Syndrome. (Newsflash)

The dad said: “The parents held a meeting, where my wife was also present, and she did not agree for her to study there for a few hours, just with an assistant, and only in the key subject classes to be in the classroom with her peers.

“Plus, to change three classes, to change one teacher every two weeks. This is not normal for a child who has no problems and definitely not for my daughter who has Down syndrome.

“We, as parents, insist that she be in class with her peers and integrate with them.”

Ambla Ademi (right) from Gostivar, Macedonia, for who parents sign petition the school to remove her from the class, because she has Down Syndrome. (Newsflash)

Shpend Salija, the director of an association for persons with disabilities called ‘Together We Can’, said being taught alone is not a good idea and that children with special needs have the right to learn and integrate with their peers

He said: “I am very upset by this case, it is a crime, it can be considered a crime because it deprives you of the right to education, and it is the same as depriving you of the right to life. It is written in law, persons who deprive a child of the right to education should be punished.

“Schools are educational institutions, they are not for the realisation of the wishes of the parents, because there is a law for the way schools function.

Ilir Ademi, the father of Ambla Ademi, the 11-year old girl from Gostivar, Macedonia, with Down Syndrome. (Newsflash)

“Furthermore, there is the Law on Inclusive Education, which stipulates that every child has the right to education.”

It remains to be seen whether Ambla will continue to attend classes alone or if she will be allowed to return to the classroom with her peers.

Her father said he will continue to seek justice for his daughter and that he expects institutions to act on these cases.

‘Bashkimi Primary School’ where parents were signing petition Ambla Ademi to be removed from her class because she has Down Syndrome. (Newsflash)

He is appealing to the state institutions, to society and to parents to be more sensitive and to accept children with special needs as they are.