Editing Education in Australia (section)

== Issues in Australian school education ==
===School funding===
In 2010 the [[Gillard government]] commissioned [[David Gonski]] to the chair a committee to review funding of Australian schools. Entitled the [[Gillard government#Gonski Report|Gonski Report]], through the [[Council of Australian Governments]] the Gillard government sought to implement the National Education Reform Agreement that would deliver an {{AUD}}9.4&nbsp;billion school funding plan. Despite some states and territories becoming parties to the Agreement,<ref>{{cite web|title=NSW backs Gillard's Gonski schools plan|url=http://theconversation.com/nsw-backs-gillards-gonski-schools-plan-13692|work=The Conversation|publisher=The Conversation Media Group|access-date=16 May 2013|author=Counihan, Bella|author2=Gallardo, Francisca|author3=Creagh, Sunanda|date=23 April 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=SA close to signing up to Gonski: Premier|url=http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/sa-close-to-signing-up-to-gonski-premier-20130521-2jxmt.html|access-date=21 May 2013|newspaper=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]|date=21 May 2013|agency=AAP}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Julia Gillard counts on Gonski momentum|url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/education/julia-gillard-counts-on-gonski-momentum/story-fn59nlz9-1226650957769|access-date=27 May 2013|newspaper=The Australian|date=27 May 2013|author=Maher, Sid|author2=Kelly, Joe}}</ref> the plan was shelved following the [[2013 Australian federal election|2013 federal election]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.arc-132421|work=Pandora|title=Review of funding for schooling|publisher=[[National Library of Australia]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/132421/20131129-1201/Review-of-Funding-for-Schooling-Final-Report.pdf|archive-url=https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20131129010100/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/132421/20131129-1201/Review-of-Funding-for-Schooling-Final-Report.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=2013-11-29|title=Gonski Review of Funding for Schooling Final Report|date=December 2011|work=Pandora|publisher=[[National Library of Australia]]}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> The [[Turnbull government]] commissioned Gonski in 2017 to chair the independent Review to Achieve Educational Excellence in Australian Schools, commonly called Gonski 2.0.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://isca.edu.au/blog/gonski-2-0/|title=What is Gonski 2.0?|website=isca.edu.au|publisher=Independent Schools Council of Australia|access-date=2018-04-30|language=en|archive-date=24 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190824220721/http://isca.edu.au/blog/gonski-2-0/|url-status=dead}}</ref> The government published the report on 30 April 2018.<ref>{{Citation|url=https://docs.education.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/662684_tgta_accessible_final.pdf|title=Through Growth to Achievement: Report of the Review to Achieve Education Excellence in Australian Schools|date=2018-04-30|publisher=Australian Government|work=Department of Education and Training|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180430004956/https://docs.education.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/662684_tgta_accessible_final.pdf|archive-date=2018-04-30|access-date=2018-04-30}}</ref> Following negotiation, [[bilateral agreement]]s between the Commonwealth of Australia with each state and territory commenced on 1 January 2019, with the exception of Victoria, whose bilateral agreement commenced on 1 February 2019. The funding agreements provide states with funding for government schools (20 percent) and non-government schools (80 percent) taking into consideration annual changes in enrolment numbers, indexation and student or school characteristics. A National School Resourcing Board was charged with the responsibility of independently reviewing each state's compliance with the funding agreement(s).<ref name="DoE funding 2019"/>

The tenth anniversary of the Gonski report in May 2022 led to criticism of successive state governments failure to implement its recommendations.<ref name=10years>{{cite web | last=Ore | first=Adeshola | title=The Gonski ‘failure’: why did it happen and who is to blame for the ‘defrauding’ of public schools? | website=The Guardian | date=12 March 2022 | url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/mar/13/the-gonski-failure-why-did-it-happen-and-who-is-to-blame-for-the-defrauding-of-public-schools | access-date=26 March 2025}}</ref> In 2024–25, the Australian Government invested 	A$53 billion (7.2% of its [[2024 Australian federal budget|federal budget]]) in education.<ref name="fedbudget"/>{{rp|189}} 96.3% of gross income for government schools was government funds in 2022, as was 76.4% for Catholic schools and 48.7% for independent schools.<ref>{{Cite web|title=School income|url=https://www.acara.edu.au/reporting/national-report-on-schooling-in-australia/school-income#:~:text=Key%20Facts,gross%20income%20for%20Independent%20schools.|access-date=2024-09-09|website=acara.edu.au}}</ref> In January 2025 South Australia and Victoria signed on to the new school funding agreement with the [[Albanese government]] (after the previous agreement had expired in 2024<ref name=wilson2025/>), which lifts federal funding of public schools to 25 per cent from 20 per cent, under the Better and Fairer Schools Agreement (BFSA).<ref name=duffy2025>{{cite web | last=Duffy | first=Conor | title=Significant progress made to end school funding wars as two more states sign on for public school funding deal | website=[[ABC News (Australia)|ABC News]] | date=24 January 2025 | url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-01-24/albanese-school-funding-announcement-gonski-review/104855794 | access-date=26 March 2025}}</ref> NSW signed up in early March, and Queensland was the last state to make the commitment, on 24 March 2025. Under the BFSA, states are required to increase their funding of public schools to 75 per cent of the minimum amount recommended by the 2012 Gonski Review and Gonski 2.0 per the SRS.<ref>{{cite web | last=Black | first=Jessica | title=Queensland signs the Better and Fairer Schools Agreement for an extra $2.8b education funding | website=[[ABC News (Australia)|ABC News]] | date=24 March 2025 | url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-24/education-queensland-funding-better-fairer-schools-agreement/105087440 | access-date=26 March 2025}}</ref><ref name=duffy2025/> This means that they will be "fully funded" according to the Gonski model.<ref name=wilson2025>{{cite web | last=Wilson | first=Rachel | last2=Kesidou | first2=Sofia | title=4 key changes you may have missed in the new school funding agreement | website=[[The Conversation (website)|The Conversation]] | date=24 March 2025 | url=https://theconversation.com/4-key-changes-you-may-have-missed-in-the-new-school-funding-agreement-252291 | access-date=26 March 2025}}</ref>

=== Indigenous primary and secondary education ===
[[Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander]] children are at a significant disadvantage when compared to non-Indigenous Australians across a number of key school educational measures.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.education.gov.au/indigenous-schooling|title=Indigenous Education: Closing the gap|work=[[Department of Education (Australia, 2019–2020)|Department of Education]]|publisher=Government of Australia|date=n.d.|access-date=19 August 2019}}</ref>  In 2008, the [[Council of Australian Governments]] announced seven<ref>{{cite book|author=Steering Committee for the Review of Government Service Provision|url=https://www.pc.gov.au/research/supporting/national-agreements/indigenous-reform/indigenous-reform-agreement-2017-18.pdf|title=National Agreement Performance Information 2017–18: National Indigenous Reform Agreement|chapter=National Indigenous Reform Agreement (Closing the Gap) performance reporting|publisher=[[Productivity Commission]]|location=Canberra|isbn=978-1-74037-669-3|date=December 2018|access-date=19 August 2019|page=2}}</ref>{{ref|e|[note e]}} "[[Closing the Gap|closing the gap]]" targets, of which four related to education, namely:<ref>{{cite book|url=https://www.pc.gov.au/research/ongoing/overcoming-indigenous-disadvantage/2016/report-documents/oid-2016-chapter2-the-framework.pdf|title=Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage: Key Indicators 2016|chapter=Chapter 2: The framework|publisher=[[Productivity Commission]]|date=17 November 2016|access-date=19 August 2019|page=2.3}}</ref>
# participation in early childhood education: with the goal of 95 per cent of all Indigenous four-year-olds enrolled in early childhood education by 2025;{{ref|f|[note f]}}
# reading, writing and numeracy levels: with the goal to halve the gap for Indigenous students in reading, writing and numeracy within a decade (by 2018);
# Year 12 attainment: with the goal to halve the gap for Indigenous 20–24 year olds in year 12 or equivalent attainment rates (by 2020); and
# school attendance: with the aim to close the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous school attendance within five years (by 2018).{{ref|c|[note c]}}
{{As of|2018}}, the target results were:<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pc.gov.au/research/supporting/national-agreements/indigenous-reform/indigenous-reform-agreement-2017-18-attachment-tables.xlsx|title=Performance Indicators: 2017–18|format=[[MS Excel]] requires download [954KB]|work=National Indigenous Reform Agreement|publisher=[[Productivity Commission]]|date=December 2018|access-date=19 August 2019}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+National Indigenous Reform Agreement:<br />Performance data (''Closing the gap'')
|-
! rowspan="2" colspan="2" | Measure !! colspan=2|2017–18 results
|-
! Indigenous !! Non-<br />Indigenous
|-
|colspan=2| The proportion of children who are enrolled in<br />(and attending, where possible to measure) a pre-school<br />program in state-specific year before formal schooling ||align=center | 95.0% ||align=center| 89.9%
|-
|colspan=2| Percentage of students at or above the minimum standard<br />in reading, writing and numeracy for Years 3, 5, 7 & 9 ||align=center colspan=2 | ''unavailable''{{ref|g|[note g]}}
|-
| rowspan=5| Attainment of Year 12 or equivalent || Major cities ||align=center| 73.8% ||align=center| 90.9%
|-
| Inner regional ||align=center| 65.1% ||align=center| 83.0%
|-
| Outer regional ||align=center| 64.5% ||align=center| 82.1%
|-
| Remote ||align=center| 51.0% ||align=center| 82.2%
|-
| Very remote ||align=center| 42.6% ||align=center| 84.2%
|-
| colspan=2 | Attendance rates: Year 1 to Year 12 ||align=center| 82.3% ||align=center| 92.5%
|}

===Bilingual education in schools===
[[Bilingual education]] in Australia may be divided into three different types, or target audiences, each having somewhat different purposes: [[Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander]] peoples; immigrant ([[culturally and linguistically diverse|CALD]]) groups; and English speakers looking to add another language to their education. The first two are interested in language maintenance and [[language revitalisation]] for ensuing generations.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Lo Bianco|first1=Joseph|last2=Slaughter|first2=Yvette|title=Bilingual and Multilingual Education|chapter=Bilingual Education in Australia|publisher=Springer International Publishing|year=2017|doi=10.1007/978-3-319-02258-1_22|pages=347–360|hdl=11343/247789|isbn=978-3-319-02257-4}}</ref>

The first recorded government support for bilingual education came under the [[Menzies government]] in 1950, when the first government schools for Aboriginal students were opened at four sites in the [[Northern Territory]] (NT), where instruction "should include English Language, Native Language (where appropriate)". Policies and practices varied in the following years, with the first five pilot programs introduced in 1973 after the [[Whitlam government]] came to power and brought in new federal policies.<ref name="Devlin 2020"/>

In the [[Northern Territory]] (the jurisdiction with the greatest proportion of Indigenous people, and many remote communities), bilingual programs for Indigenous students begun with [[Australian Government|Federal Government]] support in the early 1970s. [[Yirrkala School|Yirrkala Community School]] was identified as the first to undergo bilingual accreditation in 1980, and bilingual students outperformed the non-bilingual students. However, by December 1998 the [[Northern Territory Government]] had announced its decision to shift {{AUD|3 million}} away from the 29 bilingual programs to a Territory-wide program teaching English as a second language. Within 12 months though the government had softened its position, after people took to the streets in protest.<ref name="Devlin 2020"/><ref name=areyonga/>

From around 2000, most bilingual programs were allowed to continue under the names "two-way education",<ref>{{cite book|author1=Purdie, N.|author2=Milgate, G.|author3=Bell, H. R.|date=2011|title=Two Way Teaching and Learning: Toward Culturally Reflective and Relevant Education [abstract]|publisher=ACER Press|url=https://research.acer.edu.au/indigenous_education/38|via=ACER Research Repository|isbn=9781742860183|access-date=31 August 2023}}</ref> or "both-ways" learning.<ref>{{cite web|title=Incorporating Indigenous knowledge into your teaching|website=Living Knowledge|url=https://livingknowledge.anu.edu.au/html/educators/07_bothways.htm|access-date=31 August 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.batchelor.edu.au/about/both-ways-learning/|website=Batchelor Institute|title=Both-ways learning}}</ref> Other programs included language maintenance and language revitalisation in remote schools across the NT.

Then on 24 August 2005, the Minister for Employment, Education and Training announced that the government would be "revitalising bi-lingual education" at 15 Community Education Centres: [[Alekarenge, Northern Territory|Alekarenge]], [[Angurugu, Northern Territory|Angurugu]], [[Borroloola, Northern Territory|Borroloola]], [[Gapuwiyak, Northern Territory|Gapuwiyak]], [[Gunbalanya, Northern Territory|Gunbalanya]], [[Kalkaringi, Northern Territory|Kalkaringi]], [[Lajamanu, Northern Territory|Lajamanu]], [[Maningrida, Northern Territory|Maningrida]], [[Milingimbi Island|Milingimbi]], [[Ramingining, Northern Territory|Ramingining]], [[Ngukurr, Northern Territory|Ngukurr]], Shepherdson College, [[Numbulwar, Northern Territory|Numbulwar]], [[Yirrkala, Northern Territory|Yirrkala]], and [[Yuendumu, Northern Territory|Yuendumu]]. This revitalisation is conceived as part of an effort aimed at "providing effective education from pre-school through to senior secondary at each of the Territory's 15 Community Education Centres".<ref name="Devlin 2020">{{cite web|last=Devlin|first=Brian|title=Government Support for NT Bilingual Education after 1950: A Longer Timeline|website=Friends of Bilingual Learning|date=12 November 2020|url=https://fobl.net.au/index.php/au-KR/history/71-government-support-for-nt-bilingual-education-after-1950-a-longer-timeline|access-date=28 July 2021}}</ref>

However, in October 2008, the first year of [[NAPLAN]] testing,<ref name=areyonga/> despite the NT Indigenous Education Strategic Plan 2006–2009 supporting bilingual instruction, it was mandated by the NT Government that English should be the language of instruction in all NT schools for the first four hours of the school day. After legal challenges, an [[AIATSIS]] Symposium on Bilingual Education in 2009, media coverage and much debate, the policy was replaced by a new policy: "Literacy for Both Worlds", but that was soon withdrawn again. There was intervention by the [[Australian Human Rights Commission]], and in 2012 the [[Australian House of Representatives committees|House of Representatives Standing Committee]] on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander affairs issued a report which included the recommendation that: "Indigenous language education should be introduced to all schools with Aboriginal students, and indigenous languages included as an official [[Closing the Gap]] measure".<ref name="Devlin 2020"/>

Prominent schools involved in bilingual education programs in the NT include [[Yirrkala Community Education Centre]] (CEC) and [[Shepherdson College]] on [[Galiwin'ku]].<ref name="Devlin 2020"/> [[Yirrkala#Education|Yirrkala School]] and its sister school ignored the government directive, and has continued to teach its "both ways" methodology. The students' first language, [[Yolngu Matha]], is taught alongside English. The method has proven effective against reducing the drop-out rate, and in 2020 eight students were the first in their community to graduate year 12 with scores enabling them to attend university. Yirrkala School and its sister school, Laynhapuy Homelands School, are now being looked to as models for learning in remote traditional communities.<ref name=masters>{{cite web|last=Masters|first=Emma|title=At Yirrkala School, bilingual education has become a model for remote Aboriginal learning|website=ABC News|publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]|date=11 July 2021|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-07-11/nt-bilingual-school-arhem-land-aboriginal-learning/100272960|access-date=16 July 2021}}</ref> Areyonga School, in [[Areyonga, Northern Territory|Areyonga]], was still using both-ways education in August 2023, 50 years since it had begun there, teaching in [[Pitjantjatjara language]] and culture.<ref name=areyonga>{{cite web|last=Spina-Matthews|first=Sarah|title=Fifty years after starting a bilingual education program, Areyonga School looks to the future of 'both-ways' learning|website=ABC News|date=26 August 2023|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-08-26/nt-bilingual-education-features/102749508|access-date=31 August 2023}}</ref>

In March 2025, Yuendemu School celebrated 50 years of bilingual education. The [[Warlpiri language]] has been taught alongside English first by Tess Napurrurla Ross and then her daughter Theresa Napurrurla Ross over these years.<ref name=fitz2025>{{cite web|last=Fitzpatrick|first=Chris|title=Indigenous trailblazers celebrate 50 years of historic bilingual education program|website=[[ABC News (Australia)|ABC News]]|date=13 March 2025|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-13/yuendumu-50-year-anniversary-bilingual-indigenous-program/105032194?fbclid=IwY2xjawJAUSdleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHeX5pYH_U-YD1MMoXvtGE-z06RcG6lG4I1fM6-1tbp5Spl5gmQzlkruABg_aem_NhKzAx-dkXUrqRSu39oFog|access-date=14 March 2025}}</ref>

{{as of|2025}}, bilingual education funding in the Northern Territory has been merged into general school budgets, meaning that each school makes decisions about funding such programmes.<ref name=fitz2025/>

=== Religious education in government schools ===
{{See also|Freedom of religion in Australia|Separation of church and state in Australia|Council for Christian Education in Schools|National School Chaplaincy Program}}

Constitutionally, Australia is a [[Secularity|secular]] country.<ref name="conversation-Rowe"/> [[Section 116 of the Constitution of Australia|Section 116]] of ''Chapter V. The States'' in the [[Australian Constitution]] reads:

<blockquote>The Commonwealth shall not make any law for establishing any religion, or for imposing any religious observance, or for prohibiting the free exercise of any religion, and no religious test shall be required as a qualification for any office or public trust under the Commonwealth.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Senate/Powers_practice_n_procedures/Constitution/chapter5|title=Chapter V. The States.|website=aph.gov.au|publisher=[[Parliament of Australia]]|language=en-AU|access-date=2018-06-22}}</ref></blockquote>

Nevertheless, Australia maintains one of the highest concentrations of religious schools, when compared with other OECD countries. Historically, the teaching of religion in Australian government schools has been a contentious issue<ref name="conversation-Rowe">{{cite news|author=Rowe, Emma|title=Religion in Australian schools: an historical and contemporary debate|url=http://theconversation.com/religion-in-australian-schools-an-historical-and-contemporary-debate-82439|work=The Conversation|publisher=The Conversation Media Group Ltd|date=24 August 2017|access-date=4 September 2019}}</ref> and was a motivator for the foundation of the government schooling system.

While the [[National School Chaplaincy Program]] provides an overarching framework based on [[pastoral care]], not [[religious instruction]],<ref>{{citation|url=https://www.education.gov.au/national-school-chaplaincy-programme|title=National School Chaplaincy Programme|work=Department of Education|publisher=Australian Government|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170711090325/https://www.education.gov.au/national-school-chaplaincy-programme|archive-date=11 July 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Karp|first1=Paul|title=School chaplains agency faces tax challenge over $33m in donations|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/sep/23/school-chaplains-agency-faces-tax-challenge-over-33m-in-donations|work=[[Guardian Australia]]|date=22 September 2018|language=en}}</ref> the practices and policies of religious instruction in Australian schools vary significantly from state to state. In New South Wales, the [[Special Religious Education in Australia|Special Religious Education]] classes are held in the government school sector that enable students to learn about the [[belief]]s, [[Practices of the Religion|practices]], [[Values education|values]] and [[Morality|morals]] of a chosen religion.<ref>{{cite news|author=Knaus, Christopher|url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/apr/12/nsw-rejects-some-religious-education-review-findings-but-will-scrutinise-material|title=Religious education in NSW schools 'inappropriate' but government vows support|work=[[Guardian Australia]]|date=12 April 2017|access-date=4 September 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://oursre.org.au/|title=Home – ourSRE|website=oursre.org.au|access-date=16 May 2019|archive-date=4 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190504055030/http://oursre.org.au/|url-status=dead}}</ref> In Queensland, religious organisations may apply to [[Principal (school)|school principals]] and, if approved, deliver approved religious instruction programs in government schools.<ref>{{Citation|url=https://education.qld.gov.au/parents-and-carers/school-information/school-operations/policy-statement|title=Religious instruction policy statement|work=Department of Education|publisher=[[The State of Queensland]]|date=28 November 2018|access-date=4 September 2019}}</ref> In Victoria, legislation prescribes that government schools must not promote any particular religious practice, denomination or sect, and must be open to adherents of any philosophy, religion or faith. However, individual school principals may permit approved organisations to deliver non-compulsory ''special religious instruction'' classes of no more than 30 minutes per week per student, during lunchtime or in the hour before or after usual school hours.<ref>{{Citation|url=https://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/principals/spag/curriculum/Pages/sri.aspx|title=Special Religious Instruction|work=Education and Training|publisher=Victorian Government|date=7 March 2019|access-date=4 September 2019|archive-date=4 September 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190904101935/https://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/principals/spag/curriculum/Pages/sri.aspx|url-status=dead}}</ref> In Western Australia, both special religious education (not part of the general curriculum)<ref>{{Citation|url=http://det.wa.edu.au/curriculumsupport/religiouseducation/detcms/navigation/special-religious-education/|title=Special religious education|work=Department of Education|publisher=Government of Western Australia|date=22 September 2015|access-date=4 September 2019}}</ref> and general religious education (as part of the general curriculum)<ref>{{Citation|url=http://det.wa.edu.au/curriculumsupport/religiouseducation/detcms/navigation/general-religious-education/|title=General religious education|work=Department of Education|publisher=Government of Western Australia|date=21 August 2015|access-date=4 September 2019}}</ref> are offered in government schools.

===School violence===
In July 2009, the Queensland Minister for Education said that the rising levels of [[school violence|violence in schools]] in the state were "totally unacceptable" and that not enough had been done to combat violent behaviour. In Queensland, 55,000 school students were suspended in 2008, nearly a third of which were for "physical misconduct".<ref>{{cite news|author1=Chilcott, T.|author2=Odgers, R.|date=9 July 2009|url=http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,27574,25753048-3102,00.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120906114934/http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,27574,25753048-3102,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=6 September 2012|title=Government can do more on school violence|work=[[The Courier-Mail]]|location=Brisbane}}</ref>

In South Australia, 175 violent attacks against students or staff were recorded in 2008.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/06/26/2609043.htm|title=School violence 'dealt with'|work=[[ABC News (Australia)|ABC News]]|location=Australia|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100210154740/http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/06/26/2609043.htm|archive-date=10 February 2010|date=26 June 2009}}</ref> Students were responsible for deliberately causing 3,000 injuries reported by teachers over two years from 2008 to 2009.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/hatred-violence-in-our-schools-classrooms/story-e6frea83-1225834928483|title=Hatred, violence in our schools' classrooms|date=27 February 2010|author=Hood, Lucy|newspaper=[[The Advertiser (Adelaide)|The Advertiser]]|location=Adelaide|access-date=24 July 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100301075403/http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/hatred-violence-in-our-schools-classrooms/story-e6frea83-1225834928483|archive-date=1 March 2010}}</ref>

As of 2024, school violence is still prevalent. In an annual survey by the Australian Catholic University (ACU) 48 per cent of school principals reported having seen or experienced an event of physical violence.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2024-03-21|title=Disturbing increase in violence at school as principals say both parents and students are making threats|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-03-22/school-principals-face-violence-from-children-parents-students/103615570|access-date=2025-02-18|work=ABC News|language=en-AU}}</ref>