Principal stabbed at high school in Melbourne’s south-east

The principal of a high school in Melbourne’s south-east was stabbed at the school on Tuesday afternoon, forcing students into lockdown just before pick-up.

Police said officers were called to Keysborough Secondary College on Isaac Road after a man allegedly assaulted another man about 3pm on Tuesday.

The Education Department later confirmed principal Aaron Sykes had been injured.

“The principal of Keysborough Secondary College was allegedly harmed by an adult at the Acacia campus today – no students or children were involved,” a department spokesperson said.

“We are grateful to staff at Keysborough Secondary College who acted quickly to contact emergency services during this distressing incident.”

Police said a man was arrested and would be interviewed.

“The victim was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries consistent with a stabbing,” a spokesperson said. “At this stage investigators believe the people involved are known to each other.”

Sykes was previously principal at Melba College, which The Age awarded with a Schools That Excel prize in 2021 after the state school in Croydon lifted its median study score under his leadership.

Keysborough Secondary College warned parents about the Tuesday’s incident via text message.

“Dear parents, we have had to initiate a lockdown,” a notification from the school read. “I can confirm all students are safe and any student still inside the school will be permitted to leave shortly.”

Ambulance Victoria said two people were taken to hospital after paramedics arrived about 3.05pm, but referred further inquiries to police.

Photos shared online show police and ambulances at the school as students left the campus.

Residents in the streets surrounding the school said they were shocked to hear what happened.

Jin Mo, who has lived nearby with his wife for two years, said he didn’t feel safe to go on his usual evening walks.

“My wife is pregnant, she is due in February, so this is a big shock,” he said.

“I was working, and I got the message from her, and she said something was wrong outside. She said there were a lot of police and the helicopter in the sky.

“From my house to the kids’ school is not far, just a couple hundred metres. We go outside just for walks, for exercise. Now it’s like we can’t go outside.”

Another resident, Angela Sinn, said she was concerned to hear two adults were involved in the incident while students were at school.

“You think a school is a safe place,” she said. “These are adults, not kids, hurting each other this way. It would be so traumatising [for the students].”

The incident comes less than a week after a Berwick primary school was forced into lockdown amid reports one student had stabbed another.

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