Exclusions increasing across Qld schools, as physical aggression ‘on the rise’

Incidents where Queensland school students were either excluded, short suspended or long suspended for physical aggression have surged to a five-year high of 20,368. See which regions and grades have the worst students.

The number of exclusions across Queensland has reached a five-year high with experts saying schools had seen an “increase” in physical aggression.

The latest data from Queensland Education showed there were 1743 exclusions in 2023, the highest number since 2019 when 1674 were excluded. Of that, 657 were excluded for physical aggression.

In 2023 there were 20,368 incidents where students were either excluded, short suspended and long suspended for physical aggression. Among those were 1770 Prep and Year 1 incidents.

Queensland Association of State School Principals Association president Pat Murphy said there had been an increase in physical aggression.

“Principals and teachers have identified an increase in physical aggression across all sectors of schooling, and that’s something that has definitely risen since Covid,” he said.

“In terms of the data, this identifies that principals and teachers are dealing with inappropriate behaviours by applying a consequence to students to ensure the safety of other students in schools.”

Mr Murphy said schools would follow their code of behaviour and that would outline a progression in consequences for inappropriate behaviour.

“However, sometimes severe acts of violence or bullying can go straight to a suspension or in some rare cases in primary schools, an exclusion,” he said.

Throughout the state there were 8487 incidents of fighting, 12,037 incidents of defiance, 2481 of harassment and 2353 of bullying.

Mr Murphy said an area of concern was that a large number of grade 6 students were suspended.

“A suspension often indicates that the students have disengaged from the curriculum for whatever reason,” he said.

In 2023 there were 20,368 incidents where students were either excluded, short suspended and long suspended for physical aggression. Picture: Getty Images

“So we need to find out why they have disconnected and work with parents around this.”

Teachers Professional Association of Queensland secretary Edward Schuller said the system was failing students, parents and teachers.

“Student behaviour is absolutely out of control,” he said.

“Teachers are feeling helpless to the chaos in their classrooms and the state government is actively making it worse.”

Queensland Teachers Union president Cresta Richardson said they make no apologies for a zero-tolerance approach to occupational violence.

“Teachers and school leaders go to work to educate,” she said.

“When a school leader makes disciplinary decisions, the QTU expects the school leader’s professional Judgement to be supported by the Department of Education.

“The department has a primary duty of care for all their employees and must prioritise the physical and psychosocial safety of staff and students.”

She said schools needed more behavioural specialists, guidance officers and an extension to Flexispaces so students could succeed.

Shadow Education Minister Dr Christian Rowan said the Palaszczuk-Miles Government had failed to support at risk kids.

“Frontline principals and teachers have been reporting this explosion of violence and bad behaviour for years and yet the Labor Government has not listened,” he said.

While the number of exclusions had increased, the total number of disciplinary actions had decreased by 1026 compared to 2019.

Education Minister Di Farmer hosted a round table on Thursday to improve responses to student behaviour in Queensland state schools.

“No matter who they are or where they are in Queensland, every child deserves the same access to a high-quality education and every teacher and principal I know and have spoken to, agrees,” she said.

“However, some students can be a challenge in the mainstream classroom, and sadly we are seeing teachers being physically and verbally abused daily.

“Today was about charting a path forward on this huge issue.