Balwyn High School’s formal ban prompts discrimination claims

Balwyn High is sticking to its decision to ban struggling graduates from their year 12 formal despite widespread backlash.

Balwyn High is sticking to its decision to exclude a group of year 12 students from attending their own school formal because of attitude and behavioural issues.

But the high-profile eastern-suburbs state school has backed down on its refusal to offer refunds to students who no longer want to attend because their friends have been black-listed.

The devastated group of 20 banned students only found out they could not attend after they bought their $138 tickets to the June 8 event at the MCG.

They were told they could not go because senior teachers decided they had not met uniform and attendance requirements, did not demonstrate a “positive commitment to their studies” or did not “behave in a respectful, inclusive manner towards their peers, teachers and the community”.

A message sent to parents at Balwyn High.

A further 30 or more students subsequently decided they no longer wanted to attend, with one saying she: “didn’t want to sit at an empty table”.

“I got invited but I don’t want to go now if my friends aren’t going,” another student said.

Another said in an email exchange between students and teachers: “I would like to take this moment to thank Balwyn High School for supporting me in this difficult year of year 12 by excluding me from the formal and essentially making me feel like I don’t belong to the year 12 cohort. Thanks.”

After the Herald Sun raised the issue, the School Council met on Wednesday and decided to offer refunds to students who were offered tickets but didn’t want to go.

However, the council “reiterated their full endorsement of the decision to invite students to participate to the year 12 formal based on their compliance with school policies and expectations,” according to a letter to students from assistant principal Julien Escurat.

“Aside from the students who did not receive an invitation, we are now in a position to offer a refund to any student who does not wish to participate in the event,” the letter said.

Students have until 9am on Friday to apply for their refund.

Twenty students at Balwyn High School have been prohibited from attending the school’s formal.

A student told the Herald Sun that he felt that school “was in damage control”.

“It does work out for us as we now have the opportunity to plan a night with our friends and include each other,” he said.

One student who spoke to the Herald Sun accused the school of “discriminating against some kids as the rules are being applied unfairly”.

Another said the school “prides itself on student voices and leadership but they aren’t listening to us now.

“We’ve missed out on so much due to Covid and instead of taking that into consideration we are being excluded for wearing the wrong uniform or being late to class. They want us to be inclusive but they are not including everyone.”

A change.org petition asking for the exclusions to be overturned has more than 200 signatures. One of those signing said the “school principal team should be ashamed of excluding students because of a uniform and attendance policy when they hypocritically foster a so-called culture of learning to live together”.

One of the school’s mottos is: “learning to live together”.

Students have spoken out about the matter.

Many are angry at the lack of communication.

The exclusions have also been discussed in emails.

Other students may boycott the event.

The petition notes some of the students “have their own personal reasons for not being able to meet the criteria, but instead of addressing their wellbeing, the school has chosen to punish our peers”.

The exclusions have also been discussed in emails sent to senior school leaders and other year 12s.

Balwyn High School principal Deborah Harman said “a very small number of year 12 students have lost the privilege to attend the formal after repeated breaches of school policies and expectations”.

“We will continue to work with our students to ensure they understand the school’s policies, but we won’t compromise on having a respectful and safe school community for everyone,” she said.

Some other schools have similar behaviour policies for formals but they tend to emphasise attendance or a lack of suspension rather than less measurable criteria such as demonstrating a “positive commitment to studies”.