A YORK mother plans to teach her daughter at home after the girl suffered months of bullying at school.

But the woman, who does not want to be named, says the education system is at fault, not the school.

She pulled her 11-year-old daughter out of Fulford School after six months of bullying.

She says teachers did everything they could to help the family, but have so little power over children they were unable to help.

The child started at the school in September last year and her parents soon noticed a change in her.

The mother said: "We had noticed before Christmas, but we put it down to teething problems because she had gone to a small primary school.

"Her health started to deteriorate because of it, she was upset and stressed all the time,. She was also having migraines."

Most of the bullying the girl suffered was name-calling from other children.

As the bullying continued her health started to suffer and she was put on strong medication, claims her mum.

She said: "She was having migraines every week, out of school as well as in school, and she had to go on very strong migraine medication."

The girl's parents went to the school and teachers did their best to put an end to the bullying.

The mother said: "The teachers were very good, I would not have anything bad said about them. We are very grateful for everything they did. The trouble is, the most they can do is ask the children not to do what they are doing."

The mother says she does not believe in corporal punishment and does not know what teachers can do.

She said: "It is not the teachers, it is the children who they cannot control - it is a shame."

No-one was available at the school for comment, but the assistant director of education at the City of York Council, Murray Rose, said: "The council takes a serious and active view of all allegations of bullying in schools.

"Every school has a duty to tackle bullying and York schools have worked really hard to make children feel safe, working with the LEA and NSPCC to organise anti-bullying training for staff and to raise awareness of the issue.

"If parents believe their child is being bullied they should contact the school immediately.

"We know that bullying can be very damaging for the child if it is not dealt with quickly and professionally.

"Parents obviously have the right to remove their child from school and

educate them at home, but this is a decision which should be very carefully

thought out because of the consequences for the child of being educated away from their friends and neighbours."

Updated: 09:00 Thursday, July 31, 2003