In North Macedonia, an 11-year-old girl was surprised by a visit from the country’s president, asking her to return to school after being bullied by classmates. Embla has Down syndrome and had been studying separately from the other students, after a bigoted boycott by parents who didn’t want their children in the same class as her.
The meeting took place last Monday (7) and was disclosed by the politician in a video on social networks. “We are all equal in this society. I came here to give my support and to raise awareness that inclusion is a basic principle,” said President Stevo Pendarovski.
In the images, he delivers gifts to the girl and takes her to school, in the company of her parents. The president “talked with Embla’s father and mother about the challenges she and her family face on a daily basis” and discussed solutions, his office said.
“Pendarovski said the behavior of those who jeopardize children’s rights is unacceptable, especially when it comes to children with a disability.”
According to the girl’s family, the problems began in November, when a group of students’ parents complained to the principal about Embla’s alleged aggression and asked that she be separated from the rest of the class. The move was organized even after a local center for children with disabilities had already dismissed the idea of the girl’s aggressive tendencies.
The school administration decided to meet the demands and put Embla studying alone in an environment described as cold, with a small heater next to her. The girl’s parents protested the decision, and the school backtracked.
Days later, however, the group of parents complained again and even organized a boycott against the school. The girl, then, was once again separated from the other students.
After the visit, Pendarovski criticized the attitude of the group of parents and defended that “prejudices in this context are the main obstacle to building an egalitarian and just society for all”, according to the press release.
“Children with disabilities must not only enjoy the rights they deserve, but also feel equal and welcome at school desks and in the schoolyard. It is our obligation, as a State, but also as individuals, and a key element of this common mission. is empathy,” he added.
Before the president’s visit, the country’s Minister of Education and Science, Jeton Shaqiri, had announced that Embla would be reinstated in classes with the other students.
