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Posted: 2024-06-16 04:10:24

The mother of a 14-year-old boy allegedly threatened with a knife at a school in Western Australia says the Education Department has failed to support traumatised students.

WA Police responded to an incident at a Goldfields school on Tuesday between a 12-year-old and a 14-year-old, and are investigating reports the 12-year-old was armed with a knife.

A police spokesperson said a knife was seized at the school, with the student accused of wielding it taken to hospital with minor injuries.

The ABC has spoken to the parent of the 14-year-old, who says her son was struggling in the wake of the incident.

"My son is fairly traumatised by the whole event," the parent said.

"He is not OK at the moment."

She believed the school then went into lockdown, while the police and an ambulance were called.

But she said it took an hour and a half for the school to call and tell her what had occurred.

She said the school was yet to inform other parents or offer support to her son or students who witnessed the ordeal.

"The only thing they sent was some helpline links at the bottom of an email," she said.

An aerial image overlooking a gold mine and the city of Kalgoorlie-Boulder captured by drone.

The knife incident allegedly occurred at a school in WA's Goldfields.(ABC News: Tom Edwards)

'Lack of transparency'

The parent said her son was then suspended for 10 days in the wake of the incident.

She said she was told it was Education Department policy for "any student" involved in a serious incident to be suspended.

"I think that's completely unacceptable," she said.

"I went to then speak to the principal the next afternoon and asked her why she had suspended him. 

"What information she used to do that, what policies and procedures were being used for that suspension?

"She refused to speak to me and asked me to leave the grounds."

The parent said her biggest concern was the lack of transparency from the school.

"There has been no notification to any other parents that there was a lockdown nor that there was a weapon in the school or the police and ambulance were involved," she said.

"And none of the children have been offered any support, including my child.

"They're refusing to give me any information about the incident or anything that has happened since."

She said her son gave a victim impact statement to police on Saturday.

A WA Police spokesperson said the investigation was continuing.

The Education Department has been contacted for comment.

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