The Australian newspaper reports Nigel Scullion made the suggestion while looking at moves to strengthen the government's crackdown on truancy.
It claims Senator Scullion has written to each of the federally funded night patrol services operating in 81 Northern Territory communities, calling for them to round up children who are out late on school nights and take them home.
Australian Education Union Northern Territory President Matthew Cranitch says he has concern for any plan that doesn't involve consultation within individual Indigenous communities.
"Well, whilst it's important to acknoledge that improved outcomes are very closely linked with attendance at school, we do know that these retributed type of steps very rarely work without buy-in from the community," Mr Cranitch said. "So simply imposing these types of measures on indigenous communities would unlikely bring about the results that the government and the Minister would like."
