Catholic, Independent school sectors agree to report data on student suspensions to SA government

Private schools will begin reporting to the state government how often they suspend students or refuse to enrol children with a disability.

Private school leaders have agreed to tell the Education Minister how often they are suspending students or refusing to enrol children with a disability.

It follows an agreement to act on a series of recommendations from the 2023 national disability royal commission intended to prevent students with disability from being unfairly disciplined or excluded.

Association of Independent Schools of South Australia (AISSA) chief executive Anne Dunstan said the recommendations focused on the “fundamental human rights of all children and students with disability”. Picture: Supplied

South Australia is the first state in the country to sign such an agreement between the public, Catholic and Independent schooling sectors.

Over the next two years private school leaders will begin providing annual, de-identified data to Education Minister Blair Boyer about how many students with disability are refused enrolment or have their enrolment cancelled.

They will also report on suspension and exclusion of students, including for what reason and for how long.

Mr Boyer, who will announce the agreement on Thursday, said he was committed to monitoring any inappropriate use of discipline or exclusions against students with disability “regardless of where they go to school”.

Private school leaders have agreed to tell the Education Minister how often they are suspending students.

Catholic Education SA executive director Neil McGoran said his sector was committed to “eliminating barriers.”

The Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability handed down 222 recommendations, including 15 related to the education system.

Association of Independent Schools of SA chief executive Anne Dunstan said the recommendations focused on the “fundamental human rights of all children and students with disability”.

Catholic Education SA executive director Neil McGoran said his sector was committed to “eliminating barriers, fostering equity and enhancing learning, wellbeing, and inclusion for students with disability”.

Public schools are already required to report extensive data to the Education Department, which is either published proactively on government websites or released through Freedom of Information requests.

The department provides a snapshot of how many students were suspended or excluded in the 10 weeks of Term 2 of each year, but does not provide full year figures.

Catholic and Independent schools currently do not make this data public.

However, they do report a raft of financial, staffing and other information to public bodies including the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission.

Greens MLC Rob Simms had attempted to pass laws which would have forced private schools to publish how many students they suspend or exclude, but his legislation was knocked back in state parliament last month.

The proposed laws would have applied to any non-government school offering education between reception and year 12, but not preschools, kindergartens or childcare centres.