Worst bullies would be forced to move schools under SA Government proposal

SERIAL bullies would be forced to move schools under a change being pushed by the State Government, which also wants to crack down on parents who give false enrolment details.

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SERIAL bullies would be forced to move schools under a change being pushed by the State Government.

It also wants the power to direct parents caught giving false information — to get their children into the most desirable public schools — to enrol in a particular school nominated by the Education Department.

Parents of bullying victims often complain it is unfair that the bully gets to stay, while they feel they have no choice but to move their children to another school. The proposed changes, progressing through Parliament, would boost the powers of the department’s chief executive to intervene.

“The changes will give the chief executive the power — in very serious cases — to move the perpetrator to another school,” a department spokeswoman said.

“This would apply to any situation where there is a threat to a student or a staff members’ health, safety or welfare. While there are a range of policies in place to prevent bullying, this new proposal would be used as a last resort after all other avenues and support options have been exhausted.

“The CE would first be required to take reasonable steps to consult with the child’s parents prior to enrolling a child elsewhere. If the child was moved to a new school, the necessary support would be provided to both the child and the school to manage any risks appropriately.”

The chief executive’s power to direct enrolments has previously been restricted to children with disabilities and learning difficulties.

The new legislation would also allow the department boss to direct enrolments when parents provide false information trying to prove they live in the zones of popular schools. Parents currently sign application forms that acknowledge enrolments can be “reversed” if they are found to be frauds.

While some parents have been caught in the application process, it is understood schools have not disenrolled students once they are already attending. And lying parents cannot currently be forced to enrol their child into another specific school.

Under the new legislation, department boss Rick Persse could step in and issue a notice barring the enrolment of a child from any government school other than the one he nominates. As with bullying cases, it would be a last resort.

“The measure is designed to discourage people from fraudulently attempting to enrol their child in a school,” the department said. “The practical application of this measure would include working with any family found to have committed fraud, with any direction to enrol a child in their local school reserved as a final measure.”