High school goes into lockdown after students erupt in wild lunchtime brawl

A lunchtime brawl at a Queensland, Australia high school forced students and teachers into a lockdown on Tuesday.

Shocking footage was shared online, showing a number of teenagers fighting, throwing punches, and piling on each other at Bundaberg North State High School while a teacher tried to intervene.

The fight allegedly began with just two students but quickly escalated, with multiple groups joining to brawl across the school playground.

Prior instances of disciplinary issues have already troubled the school, with staff reportedly given instructions to call the police if they spotted a group of “eshay” [Australian slang for a violent youth subculture] students on the school premises.

A Queensland Department of Education spokesperson confirmed both police and ambulance services had to be called to the school.

A concerned parent told NewsMail that parents were not informed about the incident, which they described as a “riot”, until some time after it had occurred.

The school‘s principal, Robyn Kent, sent a letter to parents, notifying them that a precautionary lockdown was implemented due to a “student behavior incident.”

The letter, shared by NewsMail, refrained from providing specific details about the incident, citing “student privacy”.

The principal also urged parents to discuss with their children the potential consequences of spreading rumors in the community or on social media.

A spokesperson for the Queensland Department of Education confirmed to news.com.au that the school entered a “precautionary lockdown” on Tuesday.

“Like all Queensland state schools, Bundaberg North State High School is committed to providing a safe, respectful, and disciplined learning environment,” the department said in a statement.

“The department can confirm the Queensland Ambulance Service and Queensland Police Service attended the school yesterday in response to a student behavior incident. No weapons were involved in the incident.

“The school enacted a precautionary lockdown for the safety of staff and students. The school will apply appropriate consequences to students involved in line with the school’s Student Code of Conduct.

“Support is available at the school for any students and staff who may require it.”

Queensland Ambulance Services confirmed to NewsMail that two ambulances were dispatched to the school but no patients required transportation.

The Queensland Police Service confirmed a call had been logged but did not disclose further details.

The school has a range of support in place for students including an anonymous reporting platform (Stymie), and the employment of Guidance Officers, psychologists, social workers, Youth Support Coordinators, School Nurses, Chaplains, and Community Education Counsellors.