Dear Reader,
There is a renewed push to limit or abolish the practice of school suspensions and expulsion.
A recent paper ‘Disrupting the School‑Prison Nexus in NSW: Inclusive and Evidence‑Based Alternatives’ (Thomas & Hand 2025) argues the practice contributes to cycles of disengagement, and later incarceration, and that punishment for poor behaviour doesn’t work.
The paper promotes Relational and Restorative practices where students (the perpetrators) are supported to repair harm and are not ‘merely punished’, leading to stronger school communities and improved wellbeing. It further clams Scotland has reduced permanent exclusions to nearly zero and showcases a national policy shift to a more collaborative, relationship-based model in schooling that leads to better outcomes.
However, the idea of a “school-to-prison” pipeline driven by suspensions is based on flawed logic and confuses correlation with causation. UK behaviour-expert Tom Bennett warns “in the decade or so since the change, the wheels have fallen off entirely”, and Scotland is experiencing the most severe school behaviour crisis in its history, with increased violence, disruption, and teacher departures.
It is not surprising that bureaucrats and academics, who have likely never worked in a challenging classroom, continue to champion ideology over reality. In Australia too, restorative practices are now deeply embedded in wellbeing and engagement frameworks, shaping the dominant approach to student behaviour. And, as in Scotland, Australian teachers over the last decade have been exposed to increased instances of student and parent-directed bullying, threats, and physical violence. Surveys show that by 2022 nearly one in four teachers reported feeling unsafe at school and, among school leaders, incidents of physical violence have increased by around 76 per cent since 2011.
We’ve spent fifteen years teaching children that bad behaviour earns a chat, not a consequence. Perhaps not coincidentally, crime statistics now show teenagers taking that lesson onto the streets.
In my home state of Victoria, youth aged 10–17 are now responsible for around two-thirds of robberies and almost half of aggravated burglaries/home invasions.
While crime data does not prove that restorative behaviour policies cause youth crime, they do show that a consequence-free culture in schools has coincided with the rise in young offenders.
In this debate, it is too often forgotten that children have a right to learn in a safe, orderly classroom, and teachers have a right to teach, free from intimidation and violence. When behaviour policies fail to uphold these basic rights, everyone loses.
Schools must be enabled and free to set clear boundaries and simple, predictable consequences for when boundaries are crossed – including if deemed appropriate, suspension or expulsion.
Schools Program New Unit: Howard Florey – A Different Kind of War Hero
As we paused last week to mark Remembrance Day and honour the men and women who served in war, it’s also worth remembering those whose courage looked a little different – the scientists and doctors who saved countless lives far from the front line.
That’s why we’re excited to release our new classroom unit on Howard Florey, the Australian scientist who led the team that turned penicillin into a life-saving medicine during World War II. While soldiers fought on the battlefield, Florey and his colleagues were fighting infection in the lab, and their work is estimated to have saved millions of lives, including those of wounded servicemen.
This unit helps students see that service and sacrifice take many forms. It shows how innovation, perseverance and quiet courage can change the course of history just as surely as bravery on the field of battle.
Teachers can use the resource to:
- Highlight Australia’s contribution to science and medicine in wartime.
- Spark discussion about different kinds of Australian heroes.
- Encourage gratitude for the freedoms and opportunities we enjoy today.
You can download the new Howard Florey unit here.
IPA Schools Program Out and About
Victims of Communism Memorial Day November 7th
Communism drenched the 20th Century in blood, caused the deaths of more than 100 million people and the oppression of over two billion more.
The evidence Is unequivocal. Communism is not just an economic theory, but an ideology built on deception that promises equality but achieves universal poverty.
Remembering the millions who suffered and perished is not merely an act of historical respect; it is a reminder of the vigilance required to safeguard freedom today, and why these lessons matter profoundly for Australia now.
The silence before the storm | The Spectator Australia
In memory of the millions lost to
Communism
Saturday October 25th I presented on education to David Limbrick and the South East branch of the Libertarian party.
Colleen Harkin on The Rita Panahi Show Sky News Australia – 28 October 2025
Colleen Harkin on The Rita Panahi Show Sky News Australia – 4 November 2025
Colleen Harkin on The Rita Panahi Show Sky News Australia – 11 November 2025
Colleen Harkin on ABC Weekly Wrap with Rafael Epstein – 10 October 2025
Colleen Harkin on ABC Weekly Wrap with Rafael Epstein – 24 October 2025
Colleen Harkin on ABC Weekly Wrap with Rafael Epstein – 7 November 2025
Quote of the month:
Václav Havel was a Czech playwright, dissident, human rights advocate, and later the first President of the Czech Republic. Havel argued that totalitarianism begins when people stop insisting on truth, that ordinary citizens have enormous power when they refuse to “live within a lie”, and that freedom requires courage and personal responsibility, not just institutions.
His writing captures the fragility of free societies, the danger of placing ideology above reality and the need for consequences and moral responsibility, which is why I have chosen this quote from him:
“The only lost cause is the one we give up on before we enter the struggle.”
Thank you for your support.
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Colleen Harkin on The Bond Report News24 – 31 July 2026
“Yeah. Well, that’s right. I mean, the taxpayer funds it. The academics are the people who actually choose the topics that are actually investigated. And unfortunately, there has become this protocol of the amount of papers as opposed to the purposefulness of them. There seems to be this narrative that says, so long as you keep putting papers out, that that’s a good thing.”
Colleen Harkin on The Weekly Wrap Mornings ABC Radio Melbourne – 31 July 2026
“He already has at least made the words that he’ll call the royal commission. That’s been a thorn in their side for a long time because Jacinta Allan was refusing to do it. And I think the average punter will listen to those words and go tick.”
Colleen Harkin on The Rita Panahi News 24 – 28 July 2026
“71%. The only person ever to have a higher disapproval rating was Keating at 75. So when you’ve got that level of dissatisfaction, you can’t turn around and say, “I’ve done a great job.” It’s just an outrageous thing to stand there and claim.”
Teachers, not technicians
Teachers are among society’s most important professionals. They exercise judgement every day – deciding how best to explain complex ideas, respond to individual students and manage the unique dynamics of a classroom. But according to Professor Emeritus Terry Lovat, that professional expertise is increasingly being replaced by centralised mandates and compliance.
