Suspension is the temporary removal of a student from school. According to the Education Department, “Suspensions are a discipline measure when all other options have not worked.”
If your child has been suspended from school, the Department has provided comprehensive information on what processes must be followed, what are your rights and responsibilities, and where you can go for further advice:
- Education Department web page for parents – general advice for parents
- Policy Advisory Library page – official guidelines and policy documents on suspension.
Students with a disability
A high proportion of students who are suspended from school have disabilities or learning disorders. The Association for Children with a Disability has an excellent web page for parents of students with a disability, covering the particular issues relating to the suspension (or expulsion) of a student with a disability.
Alternatives to suspension
There is research to show that exclusionary responses to student misbehaviour – time-out, suspension, referral to separate settings – are ineffective because they do not address the underlying causes of disruptive behaviour. Principals and specialist staff told a 2020 investigation into behaviour policies in NSW public schools that they wanted better alternatives to suspensions, or more options to try before they sent students home.
Read more about these issues on our “Alternatives to suspension” page.
