MORE school children were suspended in the Hunter New England area than anywhere else in the state, the latest figures have revealed.
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Statistics from the Department of Education and Family and Community Services have shown suspensions in the region, which houses Tamworth district schools, made up more than 20 per cent of the state's disciplinary action for the 2016 school year.
Almost 9000 students in the region were suspended with 14,348 suspension incidents between them.
The region is the second largest geographical area in the state after Western NSW.
The number of students issued short suspensions of four days or less in the enrolment district accounted for 6 per cent of the student population.
While students issued with long suspensions, up to 20 school days, accounted for 2.7 per cent of Hunter New England students.
Schools engage a range of individual, class and whole school approaches to manage challenging or disruptive behaviour.
- Department spokesperson
The region's suspensions accounted for 21.5 per cent of those issued in the state for the entire school year (2016) while 51 students were expelled for either misbehaviour or "unsatisfactory participation".
The number of suspensions in the area had increased by 2.3 per cent from the previous year. Meanwhile, the average number of days for NSW public school students was three days, and the number of long suspensions was 11 days.
In a statement, an education spokesperson said the region covered a large geographical area, which was reflected in the statistics.
“Hunter New England covers a large and diverse geographical area with considerable number of diverse schools catering for large enrolment of students’ wide-ranging learning and social [needs] from a broad spectrum of communities,” he said.
“Over the past four years, published comparative statistics confirm that there has been little significant difference in short and long term suspensions.”
“Either as a percentage of enrolments, or in total in the Hunter New England area.
“Schools engage a range of individual, class and whole school approaches to manage challenging or disruptive behaviour, particularly where it impacts on the learning of others.”
The spokesperson said suspension was used at the discretion of principals.
“Principals in the Hunter New England area are authorised to take decisive action when the safety and/or wellbeing of others is at risk, or where a student has an ongoing history of disruptive behaviour that impacts on their learning and/or wellbeing, or the learning or wellbeing of others,” he said.
“The Hunter New England area ranking, compared to the other areas, has remained constant.
“Public schools in the Hunter New England area set high expectations for the behaviour of students and the standard of discipline in schools.”