Melbourne’s escalating issue of youth crime is partially linked to informal school suspensions and ‘under-the-table’ expulsions, a surreptitious practice that undermines young individuals’ connection to the education system without providing them with viable re-entry frameworks. It is argued by educators and youth advocates that these informal suspensions and expulsion instances permeate the corners of public, Catholic, and private educational institutions. They caution that children who undergo these exclusions from school are typically more inclined to engage in offences. Recorded data of 2023 revealed that 266 students from state schools across Victoria bore the brunt of expulsions.
Schools are obliged to maintain a log of student suspensions and secure endorsement from regional offices when the suspension duration exceeds five consecutive days or totals 15 days within a school year. Lisa McKay-Brown, an academic at the University of Melbourne specialized in attendance research, voiced her concerns regarding the undisclosed figures of students who have been subject to unofficial suspensions or expulsions. McKay-Brown noted that several schools may request students to theoretically ‘take a break’, bypassing formal suspension records, which might hinder the formulation of support plans aimed at aiding the student’s return to school. Additionally, some students are provided with adjusted academic schedules.
Adam Voigt, the initiator of the educational assistance organization, Real Schools, opined that unofficial suspensions often arise through mutual agreement, utilized by school officials when the student’s behavior does not validate a formal suspension. On this subject, he stated that a single ‘soft suspension’ day does not directly result in a student’s disassociation from academics. However, he warned that recurrent suspensions could spur a pattern of repeat offences.
There’s an increase in youth crime rates in Victoria, hitting unprecedented levels since the advent of electronic record-keeping. The Crime Statistics Agency’s figures indicate an 18% surge in the crimes committed by young individuals aged 10-17 over the past year. There is a myriad of reasons behind a youngster’s involvement in criminal activities. Dismayingly, a strong correlation emerged between a youth’s detachment from an academic landscape and his or her inclination toward illicit activities.
Jiress Musafiri, the General Manager of the Australian African Foundation for Retention and Opportunity, who works closely with African Australian families in the west of Melbourne, expressed that student disengagement is reaching new heights across the city’s schools. His organization liaises with these institutions to forge an empathetic and supportive educational environment, intending to minimize student disinterest. However, stealthy suspensions and expulsions can cause vulnerable young individuals to remain unsupervised for hours, especially when their parents have to work during the students’ educational hiatus. Consequently, they may face mental health problems, drug or alcohol dependency, and potentially, involvement in criminal behaviour.
Jo Ellis, the interim CEO of the youth legal service Youthlaw, mentioned that the factors causing the student’s disengagement from education are multifaceted and complicated. Ellis observed that some children her organization aids have been uninvolved in education for an extended period, sometimes even for years, describing it as a symptom of the existing institutional deficiencies.
An anonymous youth worker advocated for the reinstatement of truancy officers to manage the issue. Providing an analogy, Matthew White, a lecturer in inclusive education from the Australian Catholic University, compared the utilitarian ‘soft suspensions’ to temporary fixes for deeply rooted problems.
White further noted that schools often grapple with limited options when it comes to supporting young people who frequently arrive carrying a baggage of complex family histories and issues. Tina King, president of the Australian Principals Federation, further emphasized this point, stating that principals regularly manage complex behavioral incidents that encompass trauma, violence, or increasing security risks.
In a bid to promptly handle problematic situations without excluding students, principals resort to providing short respites from classroom activities, King added. She lamented the lack of resources, staff capacity shortages, and the rigid accountability systems that do not always cater to the varying levels of student needs.
A significant investment of $25.6 million was made by the Victorian Government in the Navigator initiative, a program offering tailored case management support to severely disengaged students, aiming to bring them back to educational life. Ben Carroll, the Education Minister, affirmed the importance of daily attendance concerning a student’s learning journey.
He emphasized that schools are obligated to keep track of student absences and cooperate with families and caregivers alike in promoting an all-encompassing engagement of Victorian students. Minister Carroll highlighted that there are achievable steps that schools could undertake to foster an engaging relationship with students and their families.
Focusing on the ongoing challenge of youth crime, the emphasis laid on strengthening the link between schools and families seeks to offer a more constructive and proactive approach to deal with student misconduct and stronger support mechanisms to reduce school disengagement.
Nevertheless, the urgent plea for a more streamlined and supportive approach, encapsulating innovative strategies to combat rising youth crimes and school disengagement issues, rings clear. The potential of every young individual to thrive should not be undermined by a reactive, punitive approach, but instead be nourished by a system that proactively addresses their needs in a sensitive and supportive manner.