Overview
Every child and young person deserves a good quality education and has a legal right to attend a Victorian government school. Upholding this right and ensuring the safety and wellbeing of all students are top priorities in the Victorian government education system.
Intervening early to understand and address the underlying factors that influence and trigger behaviours of concern in students is key to supporting children and young people to be connected and engaged in education. Recognising the fundamental importance of relationships, principals support and encourage the whole school community to resolve differences peacefully and respectfully at the school level.
On rare occasions, an individual student’s behaviour may compromise the health, safety and wellbeing of other students and staff at the school. When a behavioural incident is of such magnitude that an expulsion is considered, it is important that a transparent, fair and supportive process is in place, with appropriate checks and balances at each stage.
The Victorian government school expulsion process is underpinned by a focus on procedural fairness and comprehensive support for all students. It aims to ensure that opportunities are provided to thoroughly consider the effect of a student’s behaviour on all affected parties, and that decisions are informed by the safety, wellbeing and educational interests of the individual student and the school community. It also aims to ensure that vulnerable students who are a greater risk of poor educational outcomes are appropriately supported.
In the rare instance that the decision is made to expel a student, the department will work closely with the student and their family to ensure they are supported to successfully transition to a new educational setting as soon as possible. This policy and guidance is based on the principle that no child will be excluded from the Victorian government school system, even if they are expelled from an individual school.
These guidelines and procedures apply to all Victorian government schools and reflects the requirements set out in Ministerial Order 1125 – Procedures for suspension and expulsion of students in government schools . The content has been developed to support and guide principals to meet their obligations when they are considering expelling a student from a Victorian government school and are mandatory for principals to follow.
The Expulsion Policy, Guidance and Procedures should be read in conjunction with the department’s Student Engagement Policy and associated guidance and resources.
For a one-page overview of the Victorian government expulsion process refer to:
Reviewed 24 October 2022