Victorian School Discipline Data: Expulsions Dip in 2024, Suspensions Rise in 2025

Data from the Victorian Department of Education, obtained through freedom-of-information requests, reveals a mixed picture of school discipline: expulsions decreased in 2024, while suspensions increased in 2025.

Expulsions: 2024

Victorian state schools recorded 236 student expulsions in 2024. This total includes 23 primary school pupils and 213 secondary students.

The figure represents an 11 percent decrease from the 266 expulsions reported in 2023. However, the 2024 expulsions are higher than the 125 recorded in 2021, which was a year affected by pandemic-related learning disruptions.

Primary school expulsions in 2024 reached 23 cases, an increase from seven primary students expelled in 2020.

Year Level Distribution

Students in year 9 (typically aged 14 or 15) recorded the highest number of expulsions by year level, with 64 cases.

Gender Distribution

• Boys accounted for 173 expulsions
• Girls accounted for 63

Outcomes for Expelled Students (2024)

Of the 236 students expelled in 2024:

Suspensions: 2025

In 2025, Victorian public schools issued 29,709 student suspensions. This represents an increase of 1,029 from the previous year.

This figure is approximately 4.5% of the student cohort.

Over the three-year period ending in 2025, there were 87,073 suspensions in total.

Government Actions and Policies

The Department of Education stated that preventing and addressing challenging student behavior is a priority. The department stated that expulsions remain available measures when other interventions are ineffective, and that they are a last resort used to protect the health, safety, and wellbeing of the school community.

The Victorian government has invested nearly $50 million in the School-wide Positive Behaviour Support initiative.

In June 2025, the government announced new principal powers to suspend or expel students for behavior outside school or online that poses a serious risk.

Education Minister Ben Carroll said that "harmful behavior has consequences, even outside school hours."

Commentary from Stakeholders

Gail McHardy, Parents Victoria

"Any decrease in expulsions is positive."

McHardy suggested efforts to reduce school exclusions may be having an effect. She noted that moving students to another school may shift the problem rather than resolve underlying issues. She also said earlier support and intervention could reduce suspensions.

Lisa McKay-Brown, University of Melbourne

The associate professor noted that the suspension rate is not declining and aligned with persistent attendance problems.

Adam Voigt, Real Schools

The former principal said the suspension rate is too high. He said that while suspensions can be an effective tool, they risk becoming a vicious cycle if school culture issues are not addressed. He also said suspended students are more likely to be suspended again, and that low-socioeconomic, trauma-affected, and disabled students are disproportionately represented.

Dave Armstrong, Wangaratta High School

The principal reported that his school reduced suspensions by focusing on positive behavior shifts, responsibility, and relationship-building.

Andrew Cock, Australian Principals Federation

The president stated that the rise in suspensions likely reflects an increase in antisocial behavior, and that principals have stronger powers to suspend students.

Additional Context

The practice of "soft expulsions," or informal suspensions without official documentation, has been acknowledged since 2017.

National Context

• The Grattan Institute reported that Australian students on average missed 4½ weeks of learning in 2025.
• Monash University research found that approximately 65% of surveyed principals had experienced a critical incident involving physical violence, threats, sexual harassment, or abuse.

International Context

In England, suspensions reached record levels after the COVID-19 pandemic, with nearly 1 million in the 2023-24 school year. Beginning in 2025, England's Education Department will reserve suspension for the most serious cases.