Dealing with disgruntled students: a fine balancing act for educational institutions - part 1

In brief - The application of procedural fairness is pivotal for all educational institutions, regardless of whether they are a government or non-government institutions

The rise of the activist parent and disgruntled student are increasingly causing educational institutions angst due to an upswing in the volume of complaints and a willingness to take legal action, particularly against disciplinary action and decisions to exclude students. A number of unique court cases show that complaints of lack of procedural fairness are on the rise and the requirement to "walk the tightrope" in order to get the balance right is fraught with complexity and continuing to evolve.

More students and parents want to have their say