Preppies kicked out of school

MORE than 1,000 prep year students were suspended for bad behaviour in Queensland last year, in what could be a sign some are entering the education system “ill-prepared for school”.

Department of Education and Training data shows 1028 children aged four and five were suspended in 2016, almost double the 572 in 2013.

They were banned for behaviours including physical and verbal misconduct, and persistent disruption.

Queensland Teachers’ Union president Kevin Bates said the increase in the suspension rate was partly because this level of schooling was only introduced in 2008.

“We now have 99 per cent attendance and as a consequence, these sorts of things tend to come to the fore,” he said.

But Mr Bates was concerned about what was causing children as young as four and five to act out.

“Some of these behaviours result from students who are ill-prepared for school,” he said.

“There’s a real issue with how well children are socialised before they come to school and how well they’ve been offered opportunities to begin their learning.”