OUR KIDS IN CRISIS

SOARING RATES OF SCHOOL SUSPENSIONS

TROUBLED school kids are being suspended at record rates with more than 4300 students kicked out of school in the first two terms alone.

The troubling statistics coincide with a 61 per cent rise in the number of teaching staff applying for psychological and stress-related compensation.

Labor education spokesman Josh Willie said the spiralling suspension rates were happening amid a shortage of school psychologists.

He said there were just 69 school psychologists employed across the state, meaning a staff-to-student ratio of one to 890.

As a result, Mr Willie said the waiting list for school psychologists was about four months.

Education Minister Sarah Courtney said the government had increased funding to help students with “challenging behaviours”.

TEACHERS are enduring some of the worst student behaviour in many years, according to the latest data from the Department of Education.

The figures show that 2021 is on track for the highest suspension rate in many years, with more than 4300 students suspended in the first two terms alone.

It comes as part of a continual upward trend in suspensions, the one exception being last year, when only 6790 pupils were suspended – likely due to the period of remote learning.

The most badly behaved cohorts were Years 7, 8, and 9, with the most well-behaved high-schoolers residing in Years 11 and 12.

The increase in school suspensions coincides with a significant rise in the number of staff applying for psychological and stress-related workers’ compensation.

Throughout the period of 2016 to 2020, the department had a 61 per cent increase in the number of stress-related workers’ compensation claims.

During that period, suspensions for bullying had decreased significantly, however, rates of physical abuse, harassment and stalking had increased significantly.

Labor education spokesman Josh Willie said the spiralling suspension rates coincided with an “appalling low” supply of school psychologists, social workers and speech pathologists.

He said there were just 69 school psychologists employed across the state – a staff-to-student ratio of one to 890.

As a result, Mr Willie said the waiting time to see a school psychologist was about four months, while the average time to consult a speech pathologist was about three months.

Mr Willie said the lack of student support services should be blamed on the government, and education Minister Sarah Courtney.

“The school classroom should be a safe and supportive learning place for all students, but sadly on Ms Courtney’s watch they appear to be anything but,” Mr Willie said.

However, Ms Courtney said the government was employing record numbers of professional support staff to assist students with participation and engagement.

Additionally, she said they were investing $8 million in extra funding for trauma support, bumping up the total funding to $22 million.

“We are investing in a number of strategies to address the underlying causes of challenging behaviours and to support students,” Ms Courtney said.

“Labor’s record on the mental health and wellbeing of students was to cut school nurses; it has taken a Liberal government to reinstate them.”