Photo incident described as ‘the worst day ever at the school’, with senior staff accused of racism

More angry parents have spoken out about Melbourne Girls’ College’s infamous photo day where students were allegedly subjected to racist and humiliating treatment.

One angry parent accused Melbourne Girls’ College of returning to the ‘White Australia policy‘.

Melbourne Girls College students were “lined up like prisoners” and had to pass multiple staff checkpoints on school photo day, more parents have told the Herald Sun.

A number of parents have affirmed the Herald Sun’s account of the state girls’ school’s official photo session, which saw students being told they were too “dark” or “too brown” to have their photos taken.

The allegations involving race have been denied by the school, but more parents say girls were told to tuck in necklaces with Christian crosses and one girl in a hijab was told to cover her long sleeves with a school blazer or jumper.

One year nine parent said more than half of the girls in her daughter’s year were not allowed to have their photo taken on the first day due to makeup violations.

Some students were allegedly told they were too ‘dark’ to have their photos taken.

“The fact that the school is denying the claims makes me angry,” she said.

Her daughter’s friend, who has a non-Anglo background, was also told her skin was “too dark” and another year nine was told her eyebrows and lips were “too big”.

The girls were told ahead of time those with substantial amounts of makeup and jewellery could not have their photos taken, but parents say the school’s heavy-handed monitoring left dozens of students in tears.

Even girls with light foundation or tinted moisturiser covering acne and one student with rosacea – a skin condition – were told to scrub their faces, leaving many humiliated.

The parent said the girls had to line up and go past a number of teacher checkpoints before getting to the photo area.

Another said the girls were “lined up like prisoners” to have their appearance judged by staff.

She said daughter’s “self-esteem had been shattered by the way the teachers spoke to her and critiqued her appearance”

“My daughter, who is not that sensitive, came home in tears and since then hasn’t wanted to go to school. There’s too much emphasis on appearance. The girls just wanted to look nice for their photos”.

A third parent said teachers and students were “in so much shock as to what was happening”.

She said there was “no empathy” from the school.

“They want to put all the blame on our daughters and how our girls misinterpreted the day.”

The school has denied the claims, but the issue was canvassed by dozens of irate parents in a WhatsApp chat seen by the Herald Sun, with one accusing the school of returning to the “White Australia policy”.

Many girls were left in tears after being singled out for their appearance and told to remove makeup and jewellery by school staff.

A number were not allowed to have their photos taken, or were prohibited from having photos taken with their siblings.

The photo event was described by one staff insider as “the worst day ever at the school” and by one parent as a “prison line-up”.

In the online chat, parents said the behaviour of staff was “unkind”, “out of proportion”, “militaristic” and “bullying”.

One parent said certain “dark” girls were picked on: “Girls who were wearing no makeup were excluded from sibling photos because they had a dark complexion, dark eyebrows, large lips or long natural lashes”.

Another parent said that one “young person was wearing (a) hijab and long sleeves, they were told to remove their top. When they remonstrated it was a cultural requirement to cover their arms (they) were told to wear a jumper on a 30 degree day.”

A Department of Education spokesman said the school “categorically denies claims that students were racially vilified or excluded from having their photo taken because of their complexion or appearance. To suggest this was the case is totally untrue”.

The school has admitted some students were asked to adhere to school uniform rules or remove foundation, lipstick and fake eyelashes after being warned beforehand that those with extreme makeup would not have their photos taken.

However, parents said one girl was told off for having red lips although she was not wearing makeup and another was asked to remove eyelashes that were not fake.

Parents were also concerned about the role played by the photographers who rearranged students’ hair and in one case tucked a girl’s Christian cross into her top.

The photographic company was contacted for comment.

One parent said the school’s approach was similar to the “militaristic” stance taken last year over the Year 12 muck-up day.

As the Herald Sun reported last year, Melbourne Girls’ College locked Year 12 students out of the school grounds and cancelled the final assembly after a small group of students caused damage inside the school.

Meanwhile five Hoppers Crossing Secondary College students were denied having their school photo taken because they had a nose piercing.