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Violent Vic parents to face schools ban

Benita KolovosAAP
Victoria's Acting Premier James Merlino says "no one should be threatened or intimidated at school".
Camera IconVictoria's Acting Premier James Merlino says "no one should be threatened or intimidated at school". Credit: AAP

Violent and aggressive parents could be banned from school grounds under new legislation being introduced to Victorian parliament by the state government.

The proposed laws would allow principals of government, independent and Catholic schools to issue school community safety orders to parents or carers who engage in "harmful, threatening or abusive behaviour".

Acting Premier James Merlino said the laws were needed due to an increase in inappropriate behaviour by a "small minority" of parents.

"This is a really critical issue and most parents would be shocked that we need to respond in this way, but no workplace, no one should be subject to violence, to abuse, to threatening behaviour either on site or on social media," he told reporters on Tuesday.

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"It is a minority of instances and we're talking about exceptional circumstances, but it does happen."

Mr Merlino said 30 per cent of principals reported they had been threatened at work, while 21 per cent were subject to physical abuse.

"It's not about awkward conversations, difficult conversations, this is about where it gets to the level where it crosses the line," he said.

While schools will have the right to stop parents from entering their grounds for up to 14 days, parents will still be allowed to communicate with teachers to make sure their children continue to attend school activities.

An assessment will then be completed to determine whether the parent needs to be banned for longer.

Under the legislation, if a parent does not comply with a safety order the matter can be taken to court, where they could face up to $10,000 in fines.

Parents will also be able to challenge the order via an internal merits review, and external review at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal if they don't agree with the outcome.

Andrew Dalgleish, the president of the Victorian Principals Association, says there has been an increase in threatening behaviour by parents towards teachers and school staff over the last 15-20 years.

"The majority of relationships that principals have with their communities are extremely positive, and they work hard to do that, but when it does occur the trauma can be significant," he said.

"It damages the ability of teachers, and leaders to work the way that they should be able to work in their schools."

Mark Murphy, principal of Whitefriars College and president of the Principals Association of Victorian Catholic Secondary Schools, said there had been instances where parents refused to leave school grounds until they spoke with their child's teacher.

Others have become aggressive at parent-teacher interviews.

"We are emotionally invested in our children as parents and sometimes when things don't go the way we think they should go, we can get a little bit upset about that," he said.

"There's nothing wrong with that, but it's when that emotion can turn into something else and that's where this legislation will actually provide support for schools to assist us in dealing with those situations."

The Education and Training Reform Amendment (Protection of School Communities) Bill 2021 will be introduced to the Legislative Assembly this week.

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