Principals’ warning to students as muck up day declared a thing of the past

Principals at Adelaide private schools have issued a warning about the consequences of harmful pranks ahead of Year 12 students’ final day of classes.

South Australian school principals have declared muck up day a thing of the past as part of an attempt to break a cycle of disruptive behaviour and harmful pranks.

In the past, Year 12 students’ final day of scheduled classes was spent pranking their peers and staff, which had even resulted in damage to schools.

But at Emmaus Christian College, principal Andrew Linke said staff have broken the cycle.

“We’re trying to move away from this notion of muck up day,” Mr Linke said.

“They take it as an entitlement to muck up.”

Emmaus Christian College principal Andrew Linke. Picture: Tom Huntley

Now the students have “a week of celebration”, which began on Monday, and includes a movie themed dress up day and a breakfast barbecue.

“20 years ago there was this one-upmanship,” Mr Linke said.

“They’d spend the year try to top that (pranks from the year before).”

Mr Linke said younger year levels look to Year 12s as role models and if they stop “mucking up”, then they will not plan pranks when it is their turn to graduate.

“Then you break that culture of muck up days,” he said.

“Younger year levels see the positive things that are happening.”

Mr Linke said the cycle is broken over “many years” and that it would be “heartbreaking” if his Year 12s now chose to engage in bad behaviour.

At St George College, principal Peter Karamoshos told students to “go out with class and dignity” and warned against disruptive behaviour.

“We said to them, whatever they do it’s a reflection on them,” Mr Karamoshos said.

Thursday is the last day of scheduled classes at school for students at St George College and Mr Karamoshos does not “expect to have any trouble”.

On Tuesday, the school had a “dress up tradies day” and a treasure hunt on Wednesday.

Mr Karamoshos said he had his “fingers crossed they do the right thing” on their last day.

St Paul's College principal Paul Belton. Picture: Supplied

Meanwhile at St Paul’s College, principal Paul Belton said students were provided with “necessary information” to dissuade them from poor behaviour.

“We let them know about the legalities of it,” Mr Belton said.

“They are made aware that the stuff they do, if it’s illegal, it will be investigated.”

He said leadership groups at the school have to “step up” during their final days at school and that if they hear of plans to disrupt classes, that they “tell them that’s not the way to finish the year”.

“Touch wood, we really haven’t had a serious muck up day in my nine years here,” Mr Belton said.

Originally published as Principals’ warning to students as muck up day declared a thing of the past