A chief behaviour adviser tasked with improving behaviour in NSW's public and private schools will be appointed by the state government after an "inappropriate" group chat run by students at one of Sydney's most exclusive schools was uncovered.
Earlier this month, material from a group chat run by students of Knox Grammar School, on the north shore, was referred to police due to the "unacceptable" nature of the messages, according to the school's headmaster.
Several students from the elite school were suspended or expelled over the messages, some of which were racist, misogynistic or anti-Semitic.
It was later revealed that students from other schools were in the closed chat, with email addresses linked to James Ruse Agricultural High and North Sydney Boys High also used to access the group.
The NSW Police child abuse and sex crimes squad reviewed the material and found no child abuse material in the message stream.
Education Minister Sarah Mitchell said the actions of the students were appalling and needed to be tackled head on.
"We've got to look at the root cause of some of these behaviours and why kids are acting out this way," she said.
"It is never OK for young people to behave like that, whether it is in social media or in person."
Premier Dominic Perrottet said a "radical move" was needed, and on Monday announced the government would create the role of chief behaviour adviser.
The adviser will assist teachers across government, independent and Catholic schools in dealing with disruptive students and advise parents and carers on what they can do to stamp out unacceptable behaviour.
"Teachers across school sectors have told us they want greater support for dealing with disruptive students," Mr Perrottet said
"And that's why we're introducing the role of NSW chief behaviour adviser, to lead on best practice for improving and maintaining respectful student behaviour."
A global search for the person to fill the role will commence in October, with the appointment to be confirmed by the start of the 2023 school year.
Ms Mitchell said the government still planned to more than double the number of behaviour specialists in public schools, from 70 to 200.
The specialists provide advice to teachers and build the capacity of schools to manage challenging student behaviour.
The NSW opposition education spokeswoman Prue Car says it will be interesting to see whether one person can make an impact.
"We will have a look to see what happens and how it is implemented across NSW. We reserve the right to see whether this works or not. It certainly is a challenging area and let's see what this individual provides to NSW schools across all three sectors."
Ms Car said there have been several disturbing allegations in some schools in recent times.
"Any adviser certainly has their job cut out for them. We look forward to see if this can help. Any advice from this person will certainly be welcome but any reform as a result needs to see meaningful change for the students and families in NSW schools."
On Sunday, the government also announced a new partnership with the Murdoch Children's Research Institute to assess the wellbeing of primary school students across the state.
Mr Perrottet said the government was taking children's wellbeing seriously as it is predicted that, by the end of the year, one in seven children will have mental health issues.
The Murdoch Children's Research Institute will investigate how students are coping after the disruption caused by COVID-19 lockdowns, and look at what evidence-based support can be provided.
As part of the wider program on behaviour, new respect awards for students will also be rolled out.
Each school will present a Premier's Respect Award to a student, and then an expert panel will select 10 students who will be presented with their awards by the premier.
Nominations for this award will open next month, and are designed to hold good behaviour in the same high regard as academic achievement.
