School leaders get wider authority
Victorian school principals will soon be able to suspend or expel students for serious behavioural issues that occur outside school grounds or online, under new powers introduced by the Allan Labor Government. The changes, set to take effect from day one of Term 3 this year, mark a significant shift in school discipline policy—raising both hopes and questions about how we got here.
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Previously, school leaders could only take such disciplinary action for behaviour occurring within school grounds. The updated policy aligns Victoria with similar laws already in place in New South Wales and South Australia and is intended to address growing concerns around harmful behaviour—particularly online—that impacts student and staff wellbeing.
While presented as a proactive safety measure, the announcement also highlights how successive governments have struggled to keep up with changing patterns of student behaviour, especially in digital spaces. Critics argue that these powers may be a response to failures in earlier efforts to manage school safety—both in terms of student conduct and the systems meant to support them.
In 2020, the government implemented a high-profile ban on mobile phones in schools, which was widely hailed as a national first. However, that policy did little to curb online bullying and misconduct happening off-campus. More recently, the government introduced “Safe Socials” digital literacy resources and proposed a social media ban for children under 16—steps that some see as too little, too late.
Last week in Truganina a group of school children were involved in an altercation inside a McDonalds toilet.
Now, the government is investing $10.4 million through the 2025/26 Budget to expand its School-wide Positive Behaviour Support program, which aims to foster respectful conduct and safer learning environments. Another $4.2 million has been allocated to support students impacted by sexual harm—whether in person or online—with services offered through Sexual Assault Services Victoria.
The reforms also draw on the findings of the 2018 Protective Schools Ministerial Taskforce, which recommended tougher policies to protect students and staff from threats and abuse. But with this policy change coming nearly seven years later, critics may question whether the government has been slow to act on its own advice.
Deputy Premier and Minister for Education Ben Carroll said the new rules send a clear message.
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The updated policy reflects a broader shift in how school safety is understood in the digital age—but it also poses new questions. Are these powers a genuine step forward, or are they an overdue response to problems that have been allowed to escalate for too long?
With school principals now responsible for managing behaviour well beyond the classroom, some are wondering whether the government is empowering educators—or asking them to pick up the slack where other systems have failed.
