After spending the past 13 days in the Holy Redeemer Upper School Principal's office, Ash-Lynne Young was back in class today for the third term final exams.
The pressure and mostly public outrage has been mounting since 7NEWS first reported the story last Wednesday, and today the Catholic Schools Management bowed to the public pressure and allowed Ash-Lynne Young back into her standard five classroom. The 13-year-old had been booted from her class and kept in the principal's office because her mother Sharon Flowers didn't want her selling soft drinks for the school.
Today Chief Education Officer Maude Hyde mediated a meeting between Flowers and Catholic School's Management. Keith Swift reports that the outcome was good news on all sides and most importantly for Ash-Lynne.
Keith Swift Reporting,
Today for the first time in three weeks, Ash-Lynne Young went to school and she was allowed to sit in class. This letter from Catholic Public Schools dated yesterday, May 31st, but hand delivered this morning to Sharon Flowers ended the three week stand-off between Flowers and Holy Redeemer Primary School over her refusal to allow her daughter Ash-Lynne to sell soft drinks. On Ash-Lynne=s first day back in class, Flowers couldn't contain her emotions.
Sharon Flowers, Ash-Lynne's Mother
"It feels good Keith. I am just hoping that for the rest of the school year that she will be treated like any other child."
Did the school admit in the meeting that we were wrong to suspend her for not selling soft drinks?
Sharon Flowers,
"Never once, never once. They still thought that what they did was okay so never once."
And Clemente Wade told 7NEWS as much today saying the Catholic Public School's management did not bow to public pressure but rather today's decision was a result of ongoing negotiations with the Ministry of Education and they decided it is the best thing for Ash-Lynne to return to class. And what about the original reason why Ash-Lynne was booted out of class? Well she won't have to sell soft drinks but she will have to sweep her classroom.
Sharon Flowers,
"She has two days in the week when she has to sweep, which is Monday and Wednesday, and she is going to pickup papers in the yard for that other chore."
And you don't have any problem with that?
Sharon Flowers,
"No I don't have any problem with that."
And after the three week ordeal, Flowers she says she has no regrets
Sharon Flowers,
"I don't have any regrets because first I tried to make the system work; I got in touch with the Ministry of Education, I spoke with NCFC, and when that didn't work is when I went to the media. I don't have any remorse about how I dealt with the situation."
Did you ever expect this to become as big as it did? That people will be discussing the case of Ash-Lynne and it would become a national issue?
Sharon Flowers,
[Hesitating then pausing] "I didn't expect the support because normally we would discuss an issue today and tomorrow we forget about it and I so I need to thank the public for the support that they have given to me and my daughter."
"I would go through it again because it is something that I believed in; I didn't want to just make mischief. It was not about making mischief, it was standing up for what I believed in."
And that's a belief which today doesn't seem all that extreme but up until this morning it had almost cost Ash-Lynne her education.
In his letter to Flowers, Catholic School's General Manager Clemente Wade made a very telling statement saying that "The Ministry of Education only pays the salary of teachers in this school so it is essential that the school take certain measures to meet the day to day expenses of running the school." Wade told us today he expects Ash-Lynne to re-adjust and stressed that she will be treated no differently than any other student.
And finally the views on the web echoed that of morning talk as an overwhelming 86% agreed with Ash-Lynne's mother. This was our most popular poll yet as in six days we had close to 600 votes. Thanks for voting!