To suspend or not suspend, "that is the question..."

The suspension of a student from a Tasmanian Public School or college is always the last resort.

Inappropriate, violent, and/or behaviour that disregards societal norms should not be dismissed, and educators are best placed to make decisions in the best interests of their school or college community.

Suspensions can range from one to 10 days, while exclusions can be up to 60 days. 

The State Government has taken away the option of suspending students over school holidays, with a new term described as a reset.

They have also taken away the option of suspending students for bringing a school or college into disrepute – think smoking/vaping in school uniform. I am yet to be convinced that these reductions in consequences have made any significant impact or improved behaviours.

Schools and colleges go out of their way to ensure that students are successful in traditional and non-traditional education settings, and we agree that this is the most effective approach for long-term success. However, we should not shy away from the fact that significant consequences must be put in place and supported by the community to ensure that inappropriate behaviours cease or the likelihood of them reoccurring is reduced. 

In recent times, The Examiner has been informing readers of the challenges that schools and colleges face when inappropriate behaviour is directed by one student towards another.

Parents have suggested that suspensions are too lenient and not long enough. This is a flip on the common narrative – usually, schools and their principals are criticised for suspending students.

The Acting-Commissioner for Children and Young People, Isabelle Crompton, told the Inquiry into Discrimination and Bullying in Tasmanian Schools (initiated by Clark MP Kristie Johnston) that the best place for students was in school, not suspended. Crompton said, “Excluding children from school was ineffective in dealing with problematic behaviour.”

While we agree with Ms Crompton, this is made tough by the fact that if schools and colleges don’t have the staffing and professional resources they require, then safety dictates that dysregulated students must be suspended or excluded.

The sobering figures released by the Minister for Education at the Budget estimates underscore the issues that educators face in supporting and catering to the learning needs of students with varying needs and complexities.

As of 31 March 2024, 2,217 students were waiting to see a school psychologist.

The average wait times for the 12-month period - 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024 were 250 days followed by a further wait of 198 days for intervention, totalling a staggering 448 days to undertake a process designed to ensure our most vulnerable students receive the help they desperately need.

Wait times to see a pediatrician are similar or even longer. Without diagnosis, there can’t be funding, and unless parents are wealthy and can access support privately, Tasmanian families are left to manage themselves.

The consequence of inaction is that schools and colleges are left to fund new initiatives from their savings – if they can find the staff to teach the offerings.

Principals and senior staff often agonise over the decision to suspend students as they are torn between necessary action to keep staff and students safe, but also knowing that the best place for every child is in school.

We are also aware that students may not have a safe home environment; they may end up spending their suspension time on the streets and/or unsupervised, and that their education will suffer.

Suspension rates could be reduced – but only if schools and colleges are properly staffed and resourced.

Considering the most recent cuts to the state budget totalling more than $80 million and a recently signed decade-long bilateral agreement with the Commonwealth that leaves each school across Tasmania up to millions of dollars short of funding, with no opportunity to reduce the deficit until 2027, the situation is beyond dire.   

A deal that delivers 96% funding to the very minimum standard is an insult.

These matters are further complicated by the lack of off-site provision of alternate programs for students who are disengaged from schools beyond year 10. The consequence of this policy is that those students return to mainstream schooling for years 11 and 12 without the support they have previously experienced and required. And this is made even more complicated by the extension of every district and high school to year 12.

Disability and mental health advocates may criticise my views, but when a sector such as education, which is experiencing the highest rate of staff shortages in recent memory, the safety of educators and young people remains of paramount importance.

We understand trauma and trauma-informed practice, and we appreciate the funding provided to support students and upskill educators, but it is just the tip of the iceberg, just scratching the surface of much broader and deeply ingrained societal issues.

No one underestimates the challenges of improving the Tasmanian Education system – the Parliament-initiated Review will only deliver more unfunded solutions due to the perilous state of Tasmania’s finances.

Tasmanian families need our advocacy, and they need government and community support – schools and colleges can’t do it alone.