Inside Melbourne students’ wild muck up week
A Scotch College teacher was hospitalised after being injured “protecting” younger students from masked muck-up day pranksters.
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A Scotch College teacher has a broken jaw after students in hazmat suits and masks stormed the canteen and spread shaving cream around the campus as part of muck-up day pranks.
End-of-year events, including a year 12 barbecue, at the leading Hawthorn School have been cancelled and a letter has been sent to parents expressing great disappointment in the boys’ antics.
It is understood valedictory celebrations due to take place on Thursday could also be cancelled.
It is believed a religion teacher at Scotch College and a group of students collided during muck-up day celebrations last week, sending the teacher to hospital with “very serious head injuries”.
Secretary of the Independent Education Union Victoria Deb James said the teacher was attempting to protect a group of younger students from a pack of senior students.
“While the details are still hazy, it seems that a teacher who took reasonable steps to protect younger students from a large group of masked senior students has as a result been hospitalised with very serious head injuries, including broken bones in his face,” she told the Herald Sun.
“We’ve spoken to a number of staff at Scotch who are in shock, and deeply concerned about safety in their workplace.”
It is unclear at this stage how the incident unfolded.
Ms James said incidents like this needed to be treated with extreme caution.
“They are awaiting a communication from their employer about what steps will be taken to identify the culprits of this assault, protect the safety of staff and students and ensure that nothing like this ever happens again.
“This must be dealt with urgently and seriously by Scotch College.
“Nobody should be injured at work.”
Year 12 students were reportedly sent home from the school in Melbourne’s inner-east on Monday due to bad behaviour, but it is unclear if this decision is related to Friday’s incident.
One year 12 parent said it “was hard for boys who didn’t do anything wrong”.
In other muck-up day events, an ambulance was called to Canterbury Girls’ Secondary College after a student and a teacher both had a serious allergic reaction to fish oil spread around the school as part of a prank.
And at another Kew boys’ school, muck-up events were called off by 7.30am after fire alarms were tripped by year 12 students and two fire engines arrived.
Inside Melbourne students’ wild muck-up week
Drinking on school grounds, trashed toilets and rampages through school halls – the Herald Sun can reveal more muck-up mayhem from Victorian students.
As muck-up days continue at some schools this week, students continue to be sent home for damaging school property and putting others at risk.
But while a number of schools had difficulties with a few extra-rowdy students, most reported excellent behaviour and police said it was quieter than usual after Covid.
At Lalor Secondary College, there were trashed bathrooms, dress-ups on the oval, jumping castles and shaving cream fights.
And yet it was mostly in good fun, with principal Corey Jewell praising the celebrations which he said were “undertaken in good spirit”.
At St Bernard’s College in Essendon there were water fights and chants, attracting ire from one staff member who threatened to email some students’ “disappointed” parents. Comments included “live once, party hard lads” and “Once a Bernie’s boy, always a Bernie’s boy”.
Some female students from Surf Coast Secondary College dressed as characters from Magic Mike in a clip that has been viewed nearly 800,000 times.
A “fancy feast” was held by Donvale Secondary College seniors which saw them drinking non-alcoholic wine and enjoying a British breakfast.
Girls danced at Mentone Secondary College and the year 12 “disposables” at Roxburgh College dress up, signed uniforms, danced and played games in the gym.
At Brighton Grammar School, a hardworking groundsman detailed his morning which turning up to work at 4am “just in case there are any shenanigans”. The clip has been viewed 120,000 times.
The genial groundsman gets up to 24 million views on some of his TikToks.
At Mount St Joseph Girls’ College, students asked to teachers to rate each other out of ten and nominate their staff favourites. Many of the students praised the teachers in the comments, declaring one a “GOAT” and another “a queen”.
At many muck-up days, boys dressed as boys and vice-versa, like this lad called Xavier from Parade College and his friend who wore dresses from nearby schools, including Our Lady of Mercy College.
A spokesperson from Transgender Victoria said muck up days “are often a tradition for students to let off steam after the high pressure years of VCE and HSC – it’s just important everyone involved consider safety and respect whilst they have fun.”
At Ivanhoe Grammar, kids danced with the teachers at assembly, made each other cry, signed shirts and dresses and visited the primary school.
Another popular clip came from the year 12 class at Carey Grammar, showing the students crying, waving, signing shirts and hugging. It’s had more than half a million views.
At Minaret College, there was dancing, dress-ups and lots of tears.
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