Behaviour, development issues in children skyrocketing

Twenty-two per cent of students now have behavioural problems, compared with only 14 per cent in 2013.

Behavioural problems and developmental delays in children have skyrocketed in the past 10 years, the Herald Sun can reveal.

Two thirds of Victorian students now start prep with parent-reported developmental issues, such as anxiety or language disorders, the Department of Education annual report shows.

One in five preps starts school with behavioural problems, a jump of 50 per cent in a decade. Twenty-two per cent of students now have behavioural problems, compared with only 14 per cent in 2013.

The snapshot of more than one million Victorian schoolchildren in all sectors also shows students continue to miss key literacy and numeracy targets.

Kindergarten participation the year before school sits at 92 per cent – well below the 2013 rate of 98 per cent – despite millions more in funding and subsidised four-year-old kinder.

Older students feel less connected to school than ever before, with half reporting feeling disconnected and half believing teachers do not effectively manage misbehaviour.

One in five preps starts school with behavioural problems.

Just 78 per cent of primary school children reported that their teacher managed misbehaviour properly, down from 93 per cent in 2017.

But the biggest drop was among primary school pupils as just 78 per cent reported that their teacher managed misbehaviour properly, down from 93 per cent in 2017.

Children at all levels are missing more days of school.

Last year, primary school kids missed an average of 20 days, while secondary school kids missed 26 days.

Opposition education spokesman David Hodgett said the spike in reported ­developmental issues highlighted the need for more support for teachers in the classroom.

“This is obviously a concern for schools, teachers and parents. I think we need to consider the use of additional aides in classrooms and whether we need to employ school-based full-time aides to support teachers across year level, cohort or classroom groups,” he said.

A Victorian government spokesman said mental health and disability support was boosted in schools in the wake of the royal commission into the mental health system.

“Only Labor is continuing to make record investments in school mental health to ensure every student has access to the mental health support they need to thrive at school and in life,” the spokesman said.

“Our $1.6bn disability ­inclusion reforms are doubling the number of students who receive extra support in the classroom to 55,000, meaning more kids can get additional support to reach their potential in and out of the classroom.”