A mother has been left feeling “deeply sad” after being sent two versions of a class photo to choose from, with one excluding classmates with additional needs.
The photography firm has “sincerely” apologised to parents after they were offered primary school class pictures that omitted some pupils, but one mother named Natalie Pinnell told GB News it feels as if her daughter was “erased from history”.
Speaking to GB News she said: “We got our photos of our children. And my eldest got two versions of that class photo delivered.
“In that email, there were two options, one which included her [daughter Erin] and one that didn’t.
“After a further investigation with the photography company, they had consciously decided to give two options for two classes one which included the kids with complex needs and one that didn’t.
Natalie Pinnell said that she feels like her daughter was “erased”
GB News
“She appears slightly different to some of the other children in the class, but she is part of a mainstream school that focuses on inclusion.
“There’s absolutely no reason why she should be excluded from it, or the parents should be given the option to exclude her from the picture.”
The mother added: “At the end of the day, if she walks into someone’s house who has that class photo up and her class is there, but she’s not part of it. What message does that say?
“Ultimately, you know, children who are looking back at their class photos in life, she didn’t exist. If people were given the option to book that photo, she wouldn’t exist, there’s just something deeply sad about that. She’s a human being.”
The photography firm has apologised to the parents in the class and released a statement that read: “Recently, after capturing a class group photograph, one of our photographers took additional images of the class group which omitted some members of the class from the photograph.
“We deeply regret any upset this has caused and would like to sincerely apologise to the parents and children affected.
There were two photos offered to parents to choose from
PA
“We are a family-run business and photograph at schools across the UK and would like to reassure our customers that this is not standard procedure for our company and we are taking this matter very seriously.
“We are committed to implementing meaningful changes to prevent such an occurrence in the future.”
Following the complaints, the company removed the link to the alternative versions of the class photos at the request of the school, and they are no longer available to purchase.
Humza Yousaf, Scotland’s First Minister, tweeted: “Outrageous and shameful. I struggled to believe this was true when I first saw the headlines.
“Natalie has every right to be upset, as will all parents at this sorry episode.
“I am pleased an apology has been given, but this must never happen again in any school in the country.”
Source Agencies
