NSW school principals are being given expanded powers to restrict access to school grounds as part of a behaviour crackdown targeting parents whose conduct threatens the safety or wellbeing of students and staff. The new measures will allow principals to prevent those who engage in unreasonable or threatening behaviour from coming within 25 metres of school boundaries and from contacting teachers.
The policy represents a significant strengthening of principals' existing authority. Principals can already use the Inclosed Lands Protection Act 1901 to deal with people who enter onto or remain on departmental sites without authority, and may restrict entry to school sites by placing conditions on access. However, the expanded power to enforce a 25-metre exclusion zone marks a clearer and broader approach to protecting school communities.
Teachers across NSW have reported increasing levels of harassment from parents and caregivers. While most family interactions remain respectful, educators describe a worsening pattern of aggressive communication, particularly around student behaviour decisions and school policies. This behaviour affects teacher wellbeing and takes time and energy away from teaching.
The measure follows precedent set in other states. South Australia's Education and Children's Services (Barring Notices and Other Protections) Amendment Bill 2024 broadens grounds for banning individuals and enables principals to bar persons from coming within 25 metres of the school boundary. If a parent or carer is barred or directed to leave, their child or children are not prevented from attending their school or preschool as normal.
There are legitimate questions about where to draw the line between protecting staff and enabling parents to exercise oversight of their children's education. Some argue that expanding bans could discourage engaged parents from advocating for their children or raising genuine concerns about school decisions. Under existing law, action to restrict access should only occur where other reasonable attempts to resolve the problem have failed and a warning has been given, unless behaviour is so serious it warrants immediate implementation. Clarity on how this threshold applies to the expanded 25-metre rule will be critical.
The timing of this announcement reflects broader NSW education reform efforts. At the beginning of the 2026 school year, teacher vacancies hit a 12-year low and student attendance increased by 15 per cent since 2022. These improvements suggest the broader strategy of investing in staffing and behaviour standards is working, yet the need for stronger parental conduct protections suggests one element remains unresolved.
What remains to be seen is how consistently principals will apply these powers and whether adequate training and safeguards will prevent the ban power from being used against parents who are simply being persistent or critical. The strength of this policy will depend on implementation that balances legitimate staff protection with the educational principle that families should have meaningful access to schools.