Education and Training Act 2020, s 80(1); J v Board of Trustees of Lynfield College (2007)
Continual disobedience is when you regularly and deliberately ignore rules or refuse to do what you’re told. It’s not continual disobedience if you respond slowly or don’t do what you’re told because you don’t understand. There must be an element of deliberate non-cooperation or defiance, and it has to happen more than once.
Continual disobedience isn’t enough by itself for a suspension or stand-down – the behaviour must also be a harmful or dangerous example to other students. The school should think about whether your disobedience would undermine discipline and safety standards in the school if you’re not removed from school.
Behaviours related to recognised medical conditions wouldn’t usually be considered deliberate, and so wouldn’t amount to “continual disobedience”. Continual disobedience is when you regularly break school rules on purpose.