Response to the Parliamentary Inquiry about increasing disruption in Australian school classrooms

The Australian Psychological Society (APS) welcomed the opportunity to respond to the Parliamentary inquiry about the issue of increasing disruption in Australian school classrooms.

The response emphasised that disruptive behaviour in classrooms is the result of numerous factors, including individual, systemic and sociocultural issues. Tackling disruptive behaviour in Australian classrooms will, therefore, require a sustained, multi-pronged and cross-jurisdictional approach that includes, but extends beyond a focus on teachers and classrooms.

The APS responses focused on the following as evidence-informed approaches that can address disruption in Australian school classrooms in the short to medium term:

• Resource the sustained implementation of evidence-informed whole school approaches to wellbeing, learning and behaviour,
• Improve literacy levels as a preventive approach to managing disruptive behaviours in classrooms and schools, and
• Increase access to a highly skilled psychology workforce within schools.

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