Principals in Victoria are being given extraordinary new powers to expel students who behave badly outside of school hours, but the move by the Allan government has been slammed amid concerns it’s a knee-jerk reaction to a complicated problem.

The new policy, which will come into effect at the start of Term 3, enables principals to suspend or expel students for violent or harmful conduct even if it’s committed outside the school gate.

“(It) could be illicit bullying, it could be any sexualised material using AI deep fake or indeed any assault,” Education Minister Ben Carroll said.

The move aims to curb violent incidents such as one last week, where a student allegedly held a machete to another student’s throat in a Truganina McDonald’s bathroom.

“This is a common-sense approach to make sure all students are aware that poor behaviour has consequences,” Carroll said. 

However, the announcement has been met with surprise and concern from school leaders. 

“Principals only found out about it this morning after it had landed in the paper,” Tina King from the Australian Principals Association said. 

“The majority of members who’ve made contact with me are really concerned,” she said.

The opposition has criticised the move, with spokesperson Jess Wilson saying “the Allan Labor government has blindsided principals with this announcement today”.

Experts in the early intervention space say these new powers should be the last resort, fearing students who get expelled will end up in gangs and get stuck in a cycle of violence

“If we’re putting kids out of school and effectively on the street, all we’re going to do is strengthen the gangs,” Les Twentyman Foundation chief executive Paul Burke said.