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Staff Attitudes Regarding Permanent Expulsionary Punishment (PEP) from Australian Government Schools: Comparing Queensland with Other Jurisdictions

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Abstract

This mixed-methods study considers ‘permanent expulsionary punishments’ (PEP) from government schooling. Analysis considers the literature, available PEP data from two jurisdictions, and attitudinal data from Australian staff, in considering the contribution of policy, agency, and discourse (PAD) to the causes of PEP. It compares attitudes in a Queensland sample with those in other Australian jurisdictions. Across Queensland schools, 2007–2014, rates for the two categories of PEP almost doubled and more than quadrupled. This contrasts with neighbouring state, New South Wales (NSW), where the rate of PEP remained constant. PEP may disproportionately impact equity groups, already vulnerable to poor academic, and therefore social mobility, outcomes: especially those of First Nation Heritage (FNH). Thus, pre-identified gaps in educational outcomes for FNH children are stretched, despite this purportedly being a national education and social justice priority. The findings are that discernible differences exist between participants from Queensland, and other jurisdictions. However, despite these differences, responses overall were polarised reasonably uniformly across jurisdictions. Most participants attributed influence onto both family and child with fewer attributions onto schooling systems or PEP itself. Other considered factors which might influence attitudes include cohort differences like gender, age and experience.

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Notes

  1. Closing the Gap data and targets highlight differences in the educational outcomes for children of identified First Nation Heritage (FNH). An unfortunate reality is that ‘not-stated indigeneity’, which occurs for a range of identifiable and unidentified reasons, would likely increase this proportion.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Education and Tertiary Access, University of the Sunshine Coast (USC), Sunshine Coast, Australia

    Brian Higgins & Michael Carey

  2. School of Science, Technology and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast (USC), Sunshine Coast, Australia

    Peter Dunn

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  1. Brian Higgins
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Correspondence to Brian Higgins.

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Higgins, B., Carey, M. & Dunn, P. Staff Attitudes Regarding Permanent Expulsionary Punishment (PEP) from Australian Government Schools: Comparing Queensland with Other Jurisdictions. Interchange 52, 479–499 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10780-021-09428-2

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