New suspension and expulsion procedures for 2005

By Jennifer Leete

Federation has been involved in detailed consultation with the Department of Education and Training (DET) on the new "Suspension and Expulsion of School Students Procedures".

The procedures will come into effect from the commencement of the 2005 school year but are now available on DET's website. Training for principals or their nominees is currently taking place.

Federation has had considerable input into the new procedures and considers them more explicit and easily understood than previous policies. This should make them clearer for school personnel who regularly face the difficult task of having to implement them. The union achieved amendments to make it clearer that immediate suspension action must be taken in relation to students who are physically violent (resulting in pain or injury) or who seriously interfere with the safety and well-being of other students. In addition, aggressive behaviour that includes verbal abuse and abuse transmitted electronically such as by email or SMS text messages are now grounds for short suspension.

Federation was concerned that matters to do with the suspension and expulsion procedures had been frequently raised during the community consultations which occurred as part of the Aboriginal Education Review and that some of the recommendations of that review might have implications for the suspension and expulsion procedures. For this reason, the union asked that the release of the new procedures be delayed until the recommendations of the Aboriginal Education Review were known and considered. While DET listened to Federation's arguments the Department did not agree.

Another aspect of the policy which Federation has raised concerns about is the matter of parents who may choose to have a legal representative present at meetings involving disciplinary actions at schools. The new policy makes it clear that in such cases, the person remains a support person with a specifically limited role and is "not an advocate for the parent(s) or carer(s) or student and should not participate in the meeting other than in supporting parent(s) or carer(s)".

Federation also raised concern about the number of successful appeals against suspension decisions taken in schools. DET agreed to collect data on this and regularly provide it to Federation.

Jennifer Leete is the Deputy President.

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September 2004 contents