The Secondary Principals' Association believes the community should get behind schools and students to help reduce bad behaviour.

A new Education Review Office report shows it's worsened over the past two years.

President Vaughan Couillault  says Covid lock-downs weren't the only factor.

"There's a growing sort of movement where members of the community become indignant when their kid does something wrong. They aren't backing schools to make the right decisions."

Couillault says there needs to be a conversation on student expectations, and how the community will support this.

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• Must do better - NZ students among worst behaved kids in OECD: report
• How the Minister of Education is tackling the country's rapidly declining classroom behaviour
• 'Serious class disruptions': NZ students 'worst behaved'- report