Melbourne Girls’ College dumps school formal so girls can focus on year 12
It’s usually a rite of passage for graduating high school students, but top school Melbourne Girls’ College has controversially dumped its year 12 formal. This is why.
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A top government school has axed its year 12 formal, blaming it on concerns over costs to families, safety and risk minimisation.
Beginning this year, Melbourne Girls’ College will not hold a formal — an event that has become a rite of passage for many senior students.
While many schools support formals and see them as a welcome break from the drudgery of VCE, there are rising concerns around alcohol and drug use before and after school events, as students host pre formal drinks and attend unofficial after-parties.
The school says the cost of the event is an issue for many families. It has been estimated that some students are spending up to $1000 on tickets, outfits, shoes, corsages, limousines, fake tans, nails, eyelashes, after-party events, taxis/Ubers and other accessories.
The Richmond semi-select school sent out an email to families this morning, saying: “Please note that after careful consideration of a number of significant factors including student and parent feedback, the importance of student safety and risk minimisation, the availability of appropriate venues, increasing cost to families and protection of valuable class time, MGC will only be hosting one major celebratory function per year level from 2020 onwards.
“Students in year 11 will be given the opportunity to attend the year 11 formal, which will be held at the end of Unit 1 in June, while students in year 12 will be given the opportunity to attend the year 12 Valedictory Dinner, which will be held at the end of Unit 4 in October.”
Melbourne Girls’ College principal Karen Money told the Herald Sun the decision had been in the making for several years.
She said it was as much about the cost to families, drawn from wide socio-economic area including public housing, as any other factor.
“The cost of the two big events, the valedictory and the formal, is too much for a number of our families,” she said.
She said while MGC punched well above its weight, using limited resources and getting very good results, not all families could afford such events.
Ms Money said the school had many opportunities for rites of passage events at each school level.
She said distractions and time away from study also were a factor.
“I know there will be a backlash but there is still the year 11 formal as a rite of passage,” she said.
“We can’t be all things to all people but we need to be mindful of the demographic of our school.”
One student said she was disappointed that the school had banned the formal, a highlight of year 12.
However, other students weighed in, saying that their schools were too poor to hold formals, or that students should organise their own event.
Discipline issues around the year 12 formal at schools also are an issue. Woodleigh School suspended students last year after it was revealed they indulged in drugs and alcohol in a limousine on the way to the dinner.
At one school, a student was allegedly sexually assaulted by a staffer at a post-formal party.
Other schools have had issues about girls getting fake lashes and turning up to school wearing them against uniform rules.
Most schools make parents and students sign consent forms outlining expectations of behaviour and forbidding use of alcohol and drugs.
While these are signed and returned to schools, some parents still host pre- and post-drinks where alcohol and drugs are consumed.
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Ms Money said year 12 was the business end of the school journey and the formal was a distraction. She said the valedictory dinner, attended by peers and family, was a good place to celebrate the end of the year.
She acknowledged there would be “100 different opinions” but it came from an equity and social justice viewpoint and in the long run would be in the best interests of everyone.
One parent, who did not want to be named, supported the decision.
“I know it is fun but there’s pressure on kids to spend money, find a date, hire limos and other things. They’ve got plenty of time after school to do that. Not to mention many of them will also be saving for schoolies,” she said.