Almost 6000 Queensland students have been suspended at state schools in the last year.

The state’s education department says a total seven percent of state school students were suspended or expelled.

Redbank Plains State High on Brisbane's southside took out first place, with a whopping 947 suspensions.

Caboolture State High was third in the state for suspensions with a total of 781.

A large proportion of suspensions were handed out at Gold Coast schools, with 489 at Upper Coomera State College being the highest.

Children at Coombabah High were sent home 369 times, while Palm Beach Currumbin State High School issued 351 suspensions and Helensvale State High School dished out 298.

Queensland Teachers Union President Kevin Bates have defended the use of suspensions as a last resort.

“Those are the only options left to teachers after they've tried every other strategy,” he said.

Mr Bates has stressed the problem isn’t just at state schools

“The data for public schools is not being published anywhere,” he said.

“I’m very confident that similar sorts of behaviours are being exhibited in non-government schools.

“We just don’t get to hear about it.”