Suspended if friends vaping: Wollongong school backs down on tough new rule

Bulli High School emailed parents on Wednesday to outline its new policy, which came amid growing concern about the effects of e-cigarettes, or vapes, on young people.

The email said any students who were found in possession of a vape, offering to provide them to others, or was found vaping at school or travelling to or from the school, "will be suspended from school".

This would also apply to any student who "is in the presence of others vaping", the email from Principal Denise James said.

The move was criticised as being heavy-handed as students would be punished for the actions of another person near them.

The NSW Advocate for Children and Young People, Zoe Robinson, questioned the punitive measures and said it was better to work with young people than to suspend them.

"To suspend someone for standing with their friends, assuming their behaviour, is not the purpose of any suspension policy," the Advocate said.

Bulli High parents who spoke to the Mercury were worried the approach was an over-reach.

"That's guilt by association," said one Bulli dad.

"That doesn't seem right to hold someone accountable for someone else's actions."

Another student's mum said presence was not evidence of guilt.

"If it's in their hand or in their mouth then that's fair enough - but I don't agree with 'in the presence of'," she said.

"If they're all sitting in a circle and someone has a vape, that doesn't mean that they're all actually smoking it. I don't think that's enough evidence."

Another parent said the policy appeared to be trying to use peer pressure to achieve its goal, which he didn't support.

"It's peer pressure. They're trying to get students to stand up and do the right thing but I don't think it should penalise students who aren't vaping themselves," he said.

By Thursday afternoon - after questions from the Mercury - the Department of Education said Bulli High would be changing the rules it had announced, to "clarify" the use of suspension regarding vaping.

It also said the suspensions would need to be determined case-by-case rather than automatically.

"Bulli High School has reviewed its procedures to clarify situations where students may put themselves at risk of suspension," a department spokeswoman said.

"Suspension in these instances is not automatic, and any incidents will be fully investigated to determine how to best support and manage student behaviour."

The Department of Education's policy is that a suspension should be considered immediately if a student is "in possession of, uses or supplies tobacco, vaping devices, alcohol and e-cigarettes".

It limits the punishment to the student vaping, not people who are with them at the time.

This approach was decided after a "roundtable" brought together representatives from education, NSW Health, the Cancer Council, and the state Advocate for Children and Young People last year.

Late last year NSW Advocate for Children and Young People Ms Robinson released the report Young People's Perspectives on Vaping in 2023 including the results of consultations with young people across NSW.

"In our vaping report young people said that the fear of getting in trouble is a barrier to accessing supports," Ms Robinson said.

"Young people also said punitive responses don't work. Then to suspend someone for standing with their friends, assuming their behaviour, is not the purpose of any suspension policy.

"Plus we know the impact suspensions have on young people and their engagement with school. We need to work with young people to find solutions, not suspend them."

The NSW Education Department said a third of children aged 14-17 had used an e-cigarette, and nine out of ten "young people" found it easy to access vapes.