South Australians found guilty of abusing school staff will face six-month bans from campuses from today.
It is already unlawful to abuse educational workers in the state. Previously, parents and caretakers found guilty of this crime faced three-month bans.
The Government said it proposed the increase after a “dramatic rise” in incidents of parental abuse in schools over the past five years.
Abuse reports
The SA Government said its data showed a 200% increase in the number of parents temporarily banned from public schools from 2019 to 2023.
Schools in the state have issued 107 bans so far this year and sent out 206 formal written notices.
The majority of this year’s bans were issued for threatening behaviour, with five issued after physical violence towards a staff member, another parent, or a student.
Changes
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From Tuesday, schools and other education facilities can issue bans if a parent or carer poses a risk to another person’s safety or well-being, disrupts a learning or work environment, or engages in “unreasonable or threatening communication” with or about staff online.
Bans will also apply to off-site activities such as camps and excursions.
The changes extend bans to cover online behaviour, responding to a rise in abusive incidents.
Parents and carers will be barred from engaging in abusive behaviour with or about staff online, to ensure staff are “protected when they are not at work.”
The maximum duration for a ban has been doubled to six months, and the fine for breaching a ban has been tripled to $7,500.
A ban issued to a guardian does not extend to their child.
State Education Minister Blair Boyer said the changes came after he was “disturbed by the stories” of parental abuse against educational workers.
