Education Minister Ben Carroll scraps plan to put teen criminals wearing ankle bracelets into public-school classrooms

A controversial plan to put young criminals wearing ankle bracelets into public high-school classrooms has been axed by Victoria’s education minister, who says he only learnt about it when he read it in the Herald Sun.

A plan to put high-risk young criminals into state high-school classrooms has been scrapped. Picture: Morgan Settee

The controversial plan to put high-risk young criminals into state high-school classrooms has been scrapped.

Education Minister Ben Carroll on Tuesday announced he had canned the plan which was revealed exclusively by the Herald Sun on Saturday.

The plan involved placing 50 young criminals aged 14 to 18 in mainstream schools while receiving support to ensure they do not face stigmatisation from other students.

The plan, due to start in April, involved young people at high risk of bail noncompliance or reoffending and who would have worn electronically monitored ankle bracelets.

Youth offenders will still be slapped with electronic ankle bracelets, but will be provided with alternative schooling.

Mr Carroll told the Herald Sun it was “wrong on so many different levels”.

“Bureaucrats sometimes get it wrong and this time they got it wrong,” he said.

“My focus is the wellbeing of the hundreds and thousands of kids around the state who need to learn and engage in class.”

Ben Carroll said the program was ‘wrong on so many different levels’. Picture: Luis Enrique Ascui

Mr Carroll said he only found out about the decision when he read the Herald Sun on Saturday.

“This should have come to me first,” he said outside parliament on Tuesday.

“It’s not appropriate for kids wearing ankle bracelets to be in mainstream school settings. “That’s why I sent the department back to the drawing board.”

Mr Carroll said the Premier “very clearly understood where I came from” when he discussed a plan to scrap the trial over the weekend.

Mr Carroll said high-risk young criminal offenders needed to be helped in enhanced alternative education, working or provided with vocational training.

“They should not be in mainstream schools,” he said.

“They need wraparound support and alternative pathways for flexible learning options which have been proven to work with kids who are disengaged.”

He said there were 78 flexible schools in the government sector and 35 in non-government which would be more suitable.

How the Herald Sun broke the story. Picture: Herald Sun

Premier Jacinta Allan on Tuesday conceded schools had not been properly consulted over the controversial trial.

“There were some challenges in how this was not properly worked through with schools,” she said.

The plan was strongly opposed by principals around the state who were not consulted and left “blindsided”.

Australian Principals’ Federation president Tina King welcomed the decision to cancel the trial.

“This was never about not looking after young offenders, this was the wider concerns about community safety and safety in schools,” Ms King said.

Education opposition spokeswoman Jess Wilson said: “This is an overdue backflip on a program that never should’ve got this far”.

“Minister Carroll needs to stop being run by bureaucrats and actually take responsibility for his portfolio,” Ms Wilson said.

“By demanding this program be abandoned, the Liberals and Nationals have forced Labor’s hand and will always put the safety of students, staff and school communities first.”