Courier Mail: Experts demand reform as QLD school suspensions for disabled students soar

Written By A Right to Learn
Young girl with Down Syndrome with a hot pink backpack hugging her mum at the school gate
 

Students with a disability are being suspended at twice their population rate in Queensland schools, with experts warning of a “perfect storm” of future disadvantage.

On 2 June, Queensland Advocacy for Inclusion (QAI) CEO Matilda Alexander spoke with Courier Mail journalist Rose Innes about the issues for disabled students and suspension rates in Queensland.

Ms Innes said, "Students with a disability account for over half of those suspended from Queensland schools despite making up only a quarter of the student population." (2026:1)

At QAI, we were also aware of these numbers as we have been watching this issue for 4 years now with the A Right to Learn campaign. But recently the Minister for Education was asked a question on notice in parliament about suspension rates, and the answer showed that disabled students accounted for 55% of suspensions in 2025; this was "up from 51% in 2024 and 45% in 2023" (Innes, 2026:1).

The ‘A Right To Learn’ campaign wants to make suspension a last resort. Campaigners have been asking the government to improve school attendance, especially when you look at prep, grade 1, and 2, for disabled students accounting for 79-81% of the suspensions (Beyond Behaviour Report 2026:7)

Innes (2026:1) continues in her article, "It comes after the government spruiked a workforce of 12,880 support staff, including teachers, teacher aides, and public servants, in a separate Question on Notice. However, the number of disabled students in Queensland has reached 144,756, according to Queensland Advocacy for Inclusion. It means the ratio of teaching staff to disabled students is one per eleven students."

QAI CEO, Matilda Alexander, said "suspension as a last resort needs to be implemented for students with a disability. She described the figures as the “perfect storm” for future disadvantage. We want to meet with Minister Langbroek to help get a proper plan for fully inclusive, safe, and accessible schools in QLD” (Innes, 2026:1).

Check out the article in the Courier Mail here (subscription needed).

A Right to Learn