Thursday, 6 March 2025

Youth justice system

Jess WILSON (Kew) (14:15): My question is to the Minister for Education. Yesterday the Minister for Youth Justice stated that in relation to the placement of high-risk youth offenders in Victorian schools his:

… department undertook consultation – meaningful consultation, serious consultation – with the Department of Education, educators and principals.

Given the minister said he learned about this program for the first time on Saturday morning, did the Minister for Youth Justice fail to consult the Minister for Education?

Ben CARROLL (Niddrie – Minister for Education, Minister for WorkSafe and the TAC) (14:16): I made it very clear, and it is my firm expectation, that young people that are wearing ankle bracelets or GPS monitoring devices are not suitable to be in the mainstream education setting. I made what I considered a commonsense call to put a stop to that idea, which was an internal idea from a department. I know mainstream schools are not appropriate. That is why the Minister for Youth Justice is leading this review and is leading this work on electronic bail, and I support the good work that he is doing, as is the Attorney-General.

Jess WILSON (Kew) (14:17): Minister, how many high-risk youth offenders on bail are currently in mainstream Victorian schools?

Ben CARROLL (Niddrie – Minister for Education, Minister for WorkSafe and the TAC) (14:17): On this side of the chamber we are for giving people second chances, and we will always be the party of education and giving people second chances. We are making sure that young people get every opportunity. I have got a document here from James Cook University which says flexible learning options:

… reduce social and educational inequality and enable the educational ‘re-engagement’ of marginalised young …

people.

Bridget Vallence: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, the minister needs to come back to answering the very narrow question of how many high-risk youth offenders are in Victorian schools.

Mary-Anne Thomas: On the point of order, Speaker, the Manager of Opposition Business should know by now that points of order are not an opportunity to re-ask the question. I ask that you rule her out of order and ask her to stop doing this every time she jumps up on her feet.

The SPEAKER: It was a very narrow question, and I ask the Minister for Education to be relevant to the question.

Ben CARROLL: It is my firm expectation that young people, as part of this electronic monitoring of bail, will not be in mainstream schools. But I can say we will do everything we can to make sure that they live a life of purpose and get every opportunity to re-engage in education.

Bridget Vallence: Speaker, I renew my point of order on relevance because the question asks for a number and the minister has gone nowhere to answering that question in the time so far.

The SPEAKER: I ruled on the point of order and I reminded the minister. The minister has concluded his answer.