Principals and teachers have been kept in the dark about young alleged offenders who are in their classrooms while free on bail.
School leaders are supposed to be notified when their students face criminal charges or are released on bail, but principals say they are not always officially informed, and they find out through other means.
Schools are not always aware when their students are on bail.
The state Education Department does not keep track of how many children enrolled in the state’s schools are before the courts.
But the Australian Principals Federation says school leaders need to know if there are serious alleged offenders among their students.
Federation president Tina King said the information was critical, not only for the safety of other students but for the wellbeing of the young person in trouble with the law.
“A formal process would be beneficial so at the very least school leadership is notified, so they have an awareness about what is happening and how they can provide the relevant support,” King said.
She said schools would treat the information in accordance with privacy requirements, noting that many schools where some children were repeat offenders or at high risk already worked with police, courts and Youth Justice.
Western suburbs mother Anna Axiak, whose teenage daughter was brutally attacked at Altona Pier last year by a group of teens aged as young as 14, said she was frustrated the department was not aware how many schoolchildren were on bail or facing charges.
The teenagers who attacked Axiak’s daughter filmed the assault and shared it online, and the young victim is now too scared to go to school.
Axiak said the lack of information was a big concern.
“You think you’re sending your child to school, and they’re safe, but they’re not because you don’t know what kind of kids are in school.”
She said while some young people might have been bailed for minor offences, more care needed to be taken with those accused of violent crimes.
“The schools should be notified, and the Education Department [should be notified], 100 per cent.”
Bronwyn Harcourt, principal of Croydon Community School, a specialist facility in Melbourne’s east for young people with social and emotional issues, said there was a void between the youth justice system and the education system.
“Most of the time we aren’t told a child is on bail unless they tell us or if we hear from a support worker they haven’t attended court,” Harcourt said.
The number of crimes committed by children aged 10 to 17 last year rose to their highest levels since electronic records started in 1993.Credit: Rhett Wyman
She said when the school was made aware that a child was appearing before court, a staff member was often sent to support the young person, but the school was given no additional resources or assistance.
A central register of how many children were in both the justice system and the school system would give authorities a clearer picture of the numbers needing additional support and at which schools, Harcourt said.
“There’s a gross misunderstanding about these kids, that if you lock them up it will fix the problems of youth crime. It’d be much better to look at what’s the reason behind [their offending].”
She pointed out that magistrates sometimes imposed conditions on children such as attending school full-time, when they had struggled for years to do so.
“It’s really hard, if not impossible, for some of these young people.”
The Crime Statistics Agency published data last week showing the number of crimes committed by children aged 10 to 17 last year rose to its highest levels since electronic records started in 1993.
There were 7414 children arrested a combined 24,550 times in 2024, with 330 “hardened young offenders” arrested three or more times for violent crimes.
This month Education Minister Ben Carroll ruled out any prospect of alleged young offenders being tracked electronically with ankle bracelets while attending the state’s mainstream schools. But he declined to answer questions on why the department did not keep a record of students on bail or facing charges, or whether he believed such a register was needed.
A trial of the electronic bracelets for alleged young offenders in alternative education settings is due to start next month.
The most recent state budget included$28.4 million for initiatives to support students in the justice system.
Opposition education spokeswoman Jess Wilson said it was deeply concerning the department did not know how many high-risk young offenders on bail were attending mainstream schools.
“How can minister Carroll claim mainstream classrooms are an inappropriate place for high-risk youth offenders on bail if he is completely unaware how many may be attending a mainstream school on any given day?” she said.
There are concerns about the impact on young people of bail law changes that would make it more likely those in trouble with the law are remanded in custody.
Lawyer Negar Panahi leads Balit Ngulu, a legal service for Aboriginal children and young people in the criminal justice system.
Given Aboriginal young people are 14 times more likely to be involved in the criminal legal system, she is concerned about how the changes will affect an already vulnerable community.
Providing individualised support for children on bail, and encouraging their return to education was key, she said.
“Simply putting them back in the classroom is setting them up to fail. Tailored, individualised plans such as one-on-one tutoring and having an education support co-ordinator is setting kids up to really self-determine their futures and give them an opportunity, and really give them an opportunity to build a meaningful pathway for their life.”
The Commissioner for Children and Young People, Liana Buchanan, said every child had the right to an education.
“We know that education is a critical protective factor for children who have engaged in offending or are at risk of offending,” she said. “If we are serious about community safety and rehabilitation, it is important we support children and young people to stay engaged with education, in the school environment that best suits them.”
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