Discipline

Each Victorian government school has their own discipline policy decided on by the school community.

The discipline policy is called the Student Engagement Policy. It is a document that shows the school community’s expectations of student attendance and behaviour. The policy sets out the rights, responsibilities and shared expectations of everyone in the school community, including students, parents, teachers and school staff.

The policy outlines a series of processes, actions and consequences for the school to follow when a student’s attendance becomes irregular or negative behaviours are demonstrated.

The Student Engagement Policy emphasises prevention and early intervention rather than punishment as a way to respond to inappropriate behaviour. An equal emphasis is placed on issuing positive consequences for meeting high expectations as there is on negative consequences for unacceptable behaviour.

The policy clearly defines the consequences for students who behave inappropriately. The consequences are agreed on by the school community, have an educational role and aim to foster positive relationships and retain the dignity of the student.

Suspension and expulsion should only be used in extreme circumstances.

Contact your child’s school for a copy of their Student Engagement Policy.

Suspensions

In order to suspend a student, a principal must ensure that a range of strategies have already been put in place to meet the educational, social and emotional needs of the student and that these strategies have not helped improve the student’s behaviour.

A student support group is then set up to explain to the student and the family that a suspension is being considered. All participants in the meeting should work together to identify the issues that are of concern to the family, the student and the school. The student support group then develops strategies to address these issues.

Under Ministerial Order 184, a student can be suspended for:

• threatening or endangering the health, safety or wellbeing of others
• committing an act of significant violence against a person or property, or being knowingly involved in the theft of property
• possessing, using or assisting another person to use prohibited drugs or substances
• failing to comply with the reasonable and clearly communicated instruction of a principal, teacher or other staff member
• consistently behaving in a manner that interferes with the wellbeing, safety or educational opportunities of any other student
• consistently engaging in behaviour that vilifies, defames, degrades or humiliates another person.

For more information about discipline and student behaviour, see: Student Engagement Policy Guidelines

Expulsion

The principal is responsible for student expulsions. Expulsion from school is the most serious consequence open to the principal.

When expulsion is unavoidable, principals must demonstrate that expulsion is the only appropriate measure and that all other measures, consistent with a staged response and the Student Engagement Policy, have been implemented by the school without success.

Every Victorian student must be guaranteed a place in a school, registered training organisation or other alternative education setting.

Schools work in partnerships to ensure that expelled students are guaranteed an educational placement at another school or registered training organisation or alternative education setting in their network.

Under Ministerial Order 184, a student can be expelled for:

• threatening or endangering the health, safety or wellbeing of others
• committing an act of significant violence against a person or property, or being knowingly involved in the theft of property
• possessing, using or assisting another person to use prohibited drugs or substances
• failing to comply with the reasonable and clearly communicated instruction of a principal, teacher or other staff member
• consistently behaving in a manner that interferes with the wellbeing, safety or educational opportunities of any other student
• consistently engaging in behaviour that vilifies, defames, degrades or humiliates another person.

For more information about expulsions, see: Student Engagement Policy Guidelines