More students are being stood down and suspended, than ever before

Education Ministry data shows there were around 22-thousand stand-downs last year, up from 18-thousand-600 in 2022, and more than 16-thousand in 2019, pre-pandemic.

There were three-thousand-124 suspensions, up from two-thousand-400 in 2022, and just below three thousand in 2019.

Secondary Principals Association president Vaughan Couillault says it's about behaviour.

He says students that were significantly disrupted through Covid while entering or in intermediate, don't seem to know how to behave.