Discipline or Disadvantage: Why School Exclusion in NSW Needs Rethinking

Strategic Insights -

In 2024, nearly one in 10 high school students in New South Wales (NSW) were suspended, with over 100 expelled. These numbers represent young people being pushed out of classrooms and into uncertainty, with a disproportionate impact on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, who are suspended at three times the rate of their peers. Students with disability who receive reasonable adjustments are suspended 2.5 times more. Exclusion is not just a behaviour management tool, but a social justice issue that only deepens disadvantage.

Key Takeaways:

  • School exclusion in NSW is widespread, with nearly one in 10 high school students suspended in 2024.
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students are suspended at three times the rate of their peers.
  • Students with disability who receive reasonable adjustments are suspended 2.5 times more.
  • Exclusion is a social justice issue that only deepens disadvantage.
  • A recent study tracking 72,000 NSW public school students over a decade found that nearly one in five had been suspended or expelled.
  • The human cost of exclusion is high, but so is the financial one, with detaining a young person in a Youth Justice centre costing $2,748.96 per day, compared to $10.70 per day for a student in a NSW government school.
  • Investing in education and inclusion is not only the right thing to do, but also the smarter, more sustainable choice.
  • Restorative, relational, and community-led approaches are more effective and just, and have been successfully implemented in places like Scotland.
  • The Community Restorative Centre's Pathways program is a promising model that offers holistic support for young people in the justice system.
  • Other community-led diversion programs in NSW have reduced reoffending by up to 66%.
  • Six policy shifts are recommended, including redirecting resources to school-based support systems, developing a NSW school discipline policy focused on keeping students in school, and implementing restorative approaches.

Statistics:

  • 1 in 10 high school students in NSW were suspended in 2024.
  • Over 100 high school students were expelled in 2024.
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students are suspended at 3 times the rate of their peers.
  • Students with disability who receive reasonable adjustments are suspended 2.5 times more.
  • Nearly 1 in 5 NSW public school students have been suspended or expelled over a decade.
  • $2,748.96 per day is the average cost of detaining a young person in a Youth Justice centre.
  • $10.70 per day is the average cost of educating a student in a NSW government school.

Sources:

  • The University of New South Wales (2025, Oct. 30)
  • Report on Government Services (2025)
  • Dr Samara Hand's report co-authored with Dr Archie Thomas