Letter from the Department

Dear parent/carer

Safety at school is essential for children and young people to grow, thrive and learn. 

While the number of violent incidents in schools are relatively small, and most students feel safe and well supported by their schools, there has been an increasing trend of violent incidents post-COVID and any incident is unacceptable. The Department for Education is committed to preventing and responding to violence, in all its forms. 

In December 2022, the Minister for Education, Training and Skills held a roundtable on violence prevention in schools. A roundtable summary report  is now available, outlining the key themes and immediate actions. 

Immediate actions to further strengthen wellbeing supports and our approach to violence prevention in schools include: 

• A new wellbeing programs directory has been launched, providing your child’s school with a list of evidence-informed mental health and wellbeing programs available from external providers. The directory makes it easier for your school to quickly identify, procure and implement a wellbeing program that meets the needs of your school community.
• A series of student forums and a summit will be held, where young people from across the state will have the opportunity to share their insights into the issue of violence in schools. 
• The 2024 Parents in Education (PIE) parent engagement project grant funding round will focus on violence prevention and strengthening family and school partnerships. 
• New funding will be provided to schools for restorative practices training programs and support. Restorative practices focus on repairing and rebuilding relationships after conflict has occurred to foster a supportive and safe school community. Supporting our schools to do this effectively will have a positive impact on student wellbeing. 
• Schools will have access to new online learning modules, ensuring our staff are well equipped to prevent and respond to violence in schools. 

We’ll also develop a Plan of Action of evolving strategies to tackle this complex social issue with input from schools, students, stakeholders and the community.

In addition, more funding will also be provided to schools through the Federal Government’s Student Wellbeing Boost. Every school in Australia will receive a funding boost to implement student wellbeing and mental health initiatives and address impacts on student wellbeing caused by disruptions to school due to COVID-19.

The department will continue to proactively provide tailored wrap-around support for schools as they need it.

To find out more about our approach to violence prevention and response in schools, visit the Department for Education website.