Education Minister slams sexually explicit list of challenges shared by school leavers

The Education Minister says he wouldn’t send his kids to schoolies, condemning a disturbing checklist featuring sexually explicit and drug-based challenges. Warning: Graphic Content

The Education Minister has condemned a disturbing checklist of ‘challenges’ that encourage school leavers to take drugs and engage in sexually explicit activities.

Education Minister Blair Boyer told ABC Radio he would not send his own children to the Schoolies Festival.

“I completely understand parents seeing stuff like that and being really worried, it’s disgusting and there is no place for that,” he said.

“I know they (Encounter Youth) will be on high alert watching for any kind of that behaviour.

“I just hope that our young people make good decisions.”

The organisers of the festival have also responded to the controversial list.

CEO of Schoolies organiser Encounter Youth, Nigel Knowles, said such checklists had surfaced before on social media but they’re not as prevalent in SA.

“We’re encouraging people to celebrate in a really positive way,” Mr Knowles said.

The volunteer organisation has been running the school-leavers event in SA for the past 23 years.

Encounter Youth will send 400 volunteers to guide teenagers to make the right choices at this weekend’s event in Victor Harbor Mr Knowles said.

“Other checklists that might be out there will only lead to regret but if you follow our checklist you’ll hopefully remember the Schoolies weekend for the right reasons,” he said.

The event organisers have posted their own checklist to make sure attendees party responsibly.

Items on this list include advice such as “know who to call” and to organise a designated driver for travel from the festival.

This sexually explicit and drugs-based 'checklist' was posted to multiple Schoolies Facebook groups. Picture: Facebook

Despite the potential for Schoolies to spill out on to residential streets, Victor Harbor Mayor Moira Jenkins said the community was excited to welcome Schoolies.

“The majority of Victor Harbor residents love the schoolies coming down here as it adds such a vibrancy to the town,” she said.

Ms Jenkins said the event has been controlled in recent years.

“Prior to Encounter Youth doing the wonderful job that they do there were issues with Schoolies celebrating in a number of different areas with loud music,” she said.

“But now there is a festival with a designated area to celebrate – a lot of the poor behaviours that were seen 15 years ago don’t occur now.”

Ms Jenkins said that she had not been aware of the checklist prior to speaking with the Advertiser.

A screenshot of the vile checklist was posted by a teenager to two Schoolies Facebook groups along with the message: “Hey guys my friends made this checklist for me anyone keen to help tick some off?”

The foul ‘checklist’ contains activities such as “do a line on a chick’s ass” and “get a video of you f***king a chick while ripping a cone”.

The list detailing 10 ‘challenges’ also includes defacating on a bed and getting a “f***ked tattoo”.

One person commented “I wanna see you do number 7”, referring to the item “hook up with a disabled chick”.

The original poster responded with “keen for that one”.

The annual Schoolies event in South Australia has seen controversy before with a host of school-leavers being suspended for their behaviour in the past.

The new checklist was met with many likes and reacts from members within the Facebook group.

Some other members were left disgusted with people who found the post humorous.

“Imagine thinking taking advantage of a disabled girl is funny,” one teenager commented.

SA’s Schoolies festival this year will be held at Warland Reserve in Victor Harbor from Friday to Sunday and is expected to attract upwards of 5000 school leavers.