Victorian state schools recorded 236 student expulsions in 2024, comprising 23 primary school pupils and 213 secondary students. This represents an 11 percent decrease from the 266 expulsions reported in 2023. However, the 2024 figures are nearly double the 125 expulsions observed in 2021, a year significantly affected by pandemic-related learning disruptions.
Primary school expulsions in 2024 reached a five-year high, with 23 cases, an increase from seven primary students expelled in 2020. The Department of Education stated that preventing and addressing challenging student behavior is a priority, and expulsions remain available measures when other interventions are ineffective. They reiterated that expulsions are a last resort, necessary at times to protect the health, safety, and wellbeing of the school community.
Of the 236 students expelled in 2024, 189 subsequently enrolled at another school. Additionally, six students moved to registered training organizations, and three adopted a home-schooling model. Nine students were unplaced, eight moved interstate, three found employment, 17 aged out of the education system, and one was in custody.
Gail McHardy, chief executive of Parents Victoria, commented that any decrease in expulsions is positive, suggesting that efforts to reduce school exclusions may be having an effect. However, she noted that simply moving students to another school may shift the problem rather than resolve underlying issues.
Students in year 9, typically aged 14 or 15, recorded the highest expulsion numbers by year level in 2024, with 64 cases. Boys accounted for 173 of the expulsions, significantly outnumbering girls.
The practice of 'soft expulsions,' or informal suspensions without official documentation, has been acknowledged since 2017. The state government has invested nearly $50 million in the School-wide Positive Behaviour Support initiative, aiming to reinforce positive behaviors and effective classroom management across tens of thousands of students.