Disrupting the school-prison nexus in NSW: Inclusive and evidence-based alternatives

<p dir="ltr">In New South Wales (NSW), government schools are suspending students in rising numbers. NSW schools suspended approximately 1 in 50 primary school students and 1 in 10 secondary school students in 2024. Over 100 students were expelled. School exclusion across Australia disproportionately impacts students from marginalised backgrounds. In 2024, 1 in 4 suspensions were of Aboriginal students and 1 in 4 of disabled students, making them approximately 5 times more likely to be suspended. There is no evidence that school exclusion addresses student behaviour issues, according to a 2017 NSW Ombudsman inquiry. Rather than a predictor of improved behaviour, suspension is a predictor of further exclusion. Despite this, exclusion is often presented as a behaviour change strategy for students. Concerningly, there is growing involvement of police in school discipline issues, potentially increasing interactions between vulnerable young people and the criminal justice system.</p>