Education and Children's Services (Barring Notices and Other Protections) Amendment Bill – Second reading speech
Wednesday 19 February 2025
S.E. ANDREWS (Gibson) (17:06): I rise to support the Education and Children's Services (Barring Notices and Other Protections) Amendment Bill 2024 because whether it is violence or abuse in the home, on the sports field or in our schools it is never acceptable. It is not acceptable for our teachers, principals, school services officers, admin staff or preschool educators to feel unsafe at work due to the actions of parents and caregivers.
This bill, if passed, will fulfil the government's commitment to improve protections for staff and students at schools and preschools, made during the recent enterprise bargaining negotiations. Schools and preschools need to be safe and supportive environments which, like all other work environments, deserve to be free from violence, threats or abuse, whether physical, verbal or psychological.
Shockingly, there has been a 200 per cent increase in the number of barring notices issued by government schools and a more than 250 per cent increase in other responses, such as formal warning letters and reminders about expectations of respectful behaviour. This can no longer be tolerated. The behaviour of some parents and caregivers is a major contributor to the stresses faced by teachers and school leaders. Two-thirds of reports by principals who were threatened with violence are related to threats directly from parents and caregivers.
It is clear that decisive action needs to be taken to protect the educators, students and volunteers in our schools, as feedback from leaders, teachers, other staff and their representatives has been clear for some time now: this issue is getting worse and so we are taking action.
This bill seeks to address these problems by building on and improving the protections in part 8 of the Education and Children's Services Act 2019. We need to ensure that deterrents are in place to ensure parents and caregivers think twice before displaying any violence, threats or abuse in our schools and preschools. The bill does this by expanding the types of harmful behaviour captured by the act. This will include, for example, vexatious communications with or about a member of staff, such as approaching, communicating with or otherwise contacting the person, whether electronically or otherwise, or publishing material about the person, whether electronically or otherwise. As we know, this so often occurs on social media platforms, where it can spiral out of control and have terrible impacts on the people being targeted.
It also covers offensive behaviour targeted at students when involved in an educational activity away from the premises of the school. This might be at a camp, at a sports or swimming carnival, at swimming lessons, excursions or school functions, or offensive behaviour that occurs just outside the boundary of the premises, such as yelling abuse from outside the school gate. No matter where this violence, threat or abuse occurs, it is not acceptable. In fact, recently in my electorate, a school staff member was harassed by a member of the community at the local hardware store.
This bill will also increase the penalties for all offences under part 8 from $2,500 to $7,500 and add a 25-metre area around a school where any notice applies. This is to curb behaviour where banned parents stand on the edge of school grounds in an attempt to interact with or intimidate staff, parents or students.
I understand that feedback on the bill revealed stakeholders strongly support these changes, and I am not surprised given these changes are in fact common sense. I further believe there was some feedback related to operational and policy considerations or concerns to support the implementation of the changes in a way that is inclusive and promotes the best interests of children. This is what we always like to hear from our educators.
As parents, we know there are times when it is legitimate to raise concerns regarding our children's education. I must say I am fairly pleased to be finished with the educational journey of my two children but, of course, whilst they were at school I did want them to receive the best education possible. Therefore, the measures in this bill, as with the current provisions in part 8, will not prevent parents, caregivers and other community members from raising reasonable complaints or advocating for their child's needs. Rather, they seek to promote positive interactions with the staff of schools, preschools and other services by improving safeguards against the worst kinds of misbehaviour.
Much better outcomes are achieved when calm and constructive conversations are held to improve children's educational outcomes. There is no place in our schools, preschools or other education and care services for violent, abusive or threatening behaviour. In fact, there is no place anywhere for this, and that is why our government is taking action. Our teachers deserve a workplace in which they feel safe and free from harassment and harm. Every worker deserves to feel safe and free from harassment and harm. They deserve to return home safely, not mentally stressed or physically injured due to the behaviour of others.
For our children and students to thrive, we need to ensure our schools, preschools and education and care services can focus on providing the best education and care possible. This, unfortunately, cannot occur if they are concerned about attending work or cannot live safely in their personal life due to the behaviour of a few parents and caregivers.
I would like to thank every teacher, principal, school services officer, preschool educator and volunteer in our schools for their service to all our children. It might be a minority of parents and caregivers, but one incident is too many. I commend this important bill to the house.
