As a professional Association, along with our Secondary counterparts [SPC], we have lobbied hard for support from our Department and continue to work with them to address our safety concerns. In consultation with stakeholders, the Department developed a document entitled School Community Charter which outlines the responsibilities of parents/carers, educators and school staff to ensure our learning environments are collaborative, supportive and cohesive. All schools were asked to distribute and discuss this charter with their communities. It also elaborated on unacceptable behaviours. There is further work being done to enhance and support this document.

The Byron Bay PS incident earlier this term highlighted the need for stronger deterrents to maintain a safe learning and working environment in all of our 1800 schools. We went to the media saying “there needs to be zero tolerance for aggressive, threatening and violent behaviours from our community and we are calling on our Government to step up and legislate using fines &/or imprisonment for the rare times these incidents occur.” 

We found in Legal Issues Bulletin 27 important information that not many of us remembered. It was related to Section 60 E of the Crimes Act viz:

CRIMES ACT 1900 - SECT 60E - Assaults etc at schools

(1) A person who assaults, stalks, harasses or intimidates any school student or member of staff of a school while the student or member of staff is attending a school, although no actual bodily harm is occasioned, is liable to imprisonment for 5 years.

(2) A person who assaults a school student or member of staff of a school while the student or member of staff is attending a school and by the assault occasions actual bodily harm, is liable to imprisonment for 7 years.

(3) A person who by any means:

(a) wounds or causes grievous bodily harm to a school student or member of staff of a school while the student or member of staff is attending a school, and

(b) is reckless as to causing actual bodily harm to that student or member of staff or any other person,is liable to imprisonment for 12 years.

(4) A person who enters school premises with intent to commit an offence under another provision of this section is liable to imprisonment for 5 years.

(5) Nothing in subsection (1) applies to any reasonable disciplinary action taken by a member of staff of a school against a school student.

We are drawing a line in the sand and will no longer tolerate threats and assaults on our members or their staff. Our recommendation is for you to attend the twice yearly meeting with the Local Area Commanders (Memorandum of Understanding between  DoE and Police) and insist, that if needed, Police pursue offenders vigorously.