Effective day one term three of this year, Victorian school principals now have the authority to suspend or expel students when their behaviour outside school or online puts fellow students and staff at serious risk, a power previously restricted to within the school gate.

The changes bring Victoria into line with NSW and South Australia and will address concerns around harmful behaviour that happens outside school hours – particularly online – but affects student and staff safety.

School principals will use these expanded powers only when necessary to protect their school community.

These expanded powers are intended to act as the appropriate framework to ensure school leaders have the authorisation to act where necessary.

Wangaratta High School principal Dave Armstrong said these are important and balanced changes.

“They give Department of Education principals the authority, in strictly limited circumstances, to suspend or expel a student for behaviour outside school where there is a serious and direct impact on the safety or participation of others within the school,” he said.

“This is not a broad expansion of power, very few areas of student behaviour outside of school fall within the scope of these changes.

“The policy is clear: it applies only where a student’s off-site conduct poses a significant danger to the health, safety or wellbeing of another student or a staff member, and where that behaviour has a clear and close connection to the school.”

Mr Armstrong said this is not about punishing students for poor behaviour in their private lives, it is about protecting the right of all students to engage with education, and of staff to carry out their duties, without serious disruption or threat.

“The behaviour must meet a very high threshold,” he said.

“It must unreasonably prevent or impede another student from participating in school activities or accessing learning or prevent or impede a staff member from performing their duties.

“These are not discretionary or subjective criteria.”

The majority of off-site student behaviour remains outside the reach of this policy, it relates to rare but serious cases, such as threats or intimidation carried out online or in social settings, which spill into school and can cause real harm.

Mr Armstrong said he has seen the impact of these situations.

“A student targeted online over the weekend may be too anxious to attend school, or a teacher may be harassed in a way that compromises their ability to do their job,” he said.

“These matters do not stop at the school gate.

“I have spoken often about the risks of mobile phones in the hands of young adolescents; smartphones are not neutral tools, they are dangerous, problematic and addictive for children, particularly in primary and early secondary years.

“I continue to urge parents to delay providing smartphones, if contact is needed, consider a basic ‘dumb phone’.

“From my experience as a principal and a parent, children should not have access to social media until at least age 16.

“These changes are not about extending school control but about reinforcing our obligation to provide a safe learning environment.

“When serious behaviour occurs outside school and causes significant harm within it, principals must be able to respond lawfully and fairly.”

The changes strengthen the state government’s existing school safety measures, including the nation-leading 2020 mobile phone ban and the Safe Socials resources to help students and families use technology safely.

The new powers build on the $10.4 million invested in the Victorian Budget 2025/26 to expand the school-wide Positive Behaviour Support Program.

The program helps schools teach students how to behave appropriately, create safe spaces for learning, support students who need extra help with behaviour and ultimately keep teachers and staff safe from violence.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Education Ben Carroll said in Victoria, community safety comes first.

“These strengthened powers send a clear message that harmful behaviour outside of school or online has consequences,” he said.

“The safety of students, teachers and school staff is our top priority – we’re investing in programs that foster more respectful schools and acting to protect school communities.

“This builds on our nation-leading ban on mobile phones in schools and our support of a social media ban for kids – keeping kids safe in the classroom and online.”