Rise in short-term suspensions as Gold Coast school students battle mental health issues

THE number of suspensions at Gold Coast schools have risen sharply in the past year. There’s a disturbing reason why.

Rise in short-term suspensions as Gold Coast school students battle mental health issues.

GOLD Coast state school short-term suspensions have risen 16 per cent in the past year as mental health among teens declines.

According to the Department of Education’s latest school disciplinary absences report, 5499 students received short suspensions last year, up 759 on the 4740 in 2015.

Long-term suspensions increased 9.75 per cent on the Gold Coast, while exclusions and cancellations dropped 13.53 per cent and 12.66 per cent.

Child and adolescent psychologist Dr Michael Carr-Gregg said the increase in suspensions was reflective of the general decline in adolescent mental health.

“One in four adolescents have mental health issues and can have behavioural symptoms where they act out,” he said.

A school crossing sign.

“The reality is that schools are not designed for children with psychological problems.”

Dr Carr-Gregg said there tended to be more risk than protective factors, including “more marital breakups, more online hazards, more cyber bullying, growing up faster physically than psychologically (and) kids are more anxious than ever before”.

“People like me are the expensive ambulance at the bottom of the cliff picking up the pieces, where a better allocation of money into the prevention of these problems (would be better),” he said.

“Suicides have doubled in the past 10 years according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, rates of deliberate self-harm have gone up and we’re certainly seeing more referrals to Head Space.”

Boys from a private high school. Photo: AAP Image/Dan Peled/file

Last year, Tamborine Mountain State High School issued the highest number of short suspensions per student population, recording 281 short-term suspensions out of 878 enrolments.

The school also issued 11 long suspensions and 10 exclusions.

Conversely, Varsity College in Varsity Lakes, which had 3106 students in 2016, issued 223 short suspensions and two long suspensions. They recorded nine cancellations and 10 exclusions.

Other schools with high short suspensions per student population included: Pacific Pines State High School (348), Ormeau Woods State High School (299), Elanora State High School (198), and Keebra Park State High School (173).

Rise in short-term suspensions as Gold Coast school students battle mental health issues.

Nerang State School, which has 354 students, issued 105 short-term suspensions.

A Department of Education spokesperson said of the 66 schools on the list, no state school principal on the Gold Coast would comment.

“We have undertaken significant work to support principals to use graduated and measured responses to behavioural issues in line with the school’s Responsible Behaviour Plan for Students, which is supported through the school community,” the spokesperson said.

A school principal, not wanting to be named, said the data could not accurately be used to signify trends as multiple numbers of suspensions could be down to one issue or student.

“Principals try to look at all the options,” the source said of discipline resources available.

“It all comes back to parent and community expectations, they really drive (how incidents are dealt with).

“Any issue of drugs and premeditated violence can’t be accepted anywhere in school.”

HOW IT WORKS

● Each year state schools suspensions are divided into five categories: short suspensions, long suspensions, charge suspensions, exclusions and cancellations.

● Short suspensions are defined as suspensions between one-10 school days, while long suspensions are 11-20 school days.

● Behaviour that could result in suspension, as outlined by the Responsible Behaviour Plan for Students, included level two major behavioural problems such as throwing objects, possession of weapons, fighting, possession or selling of drugs, leaving school without permission, major bullying or aggressive language.

● Exclusions are determined by the principal or principal’s supervisor and only used when behaviour is deemed so serious that a suspension is inadequate, while cancellations are where the principal cancels the enrolment of a post compulsory age student if they persistently refuse to participate in the school program.