Vaccinated parents excluded from grade six graduation at Ceres Primary School

A Geelong primary school has put a blanket ban on any parents attending its year-6 graduation over fears Covid vaccination requirements could exclude some families, leaving other furious.

A Geelong primary school has informed parents they will not attend their child’s graduation regardless of their vaccination status.

Ahead of Wednesday’s event, parents received a message from Ceres Primary School stating: “We do not wish to potentially exclude people due to vaccination requirements; the children will organise decorations at the front gate so photos can be taken with parents at the conclusion of the event.”

In an additional email from Principal Lissa Young she told one concerned parent that the decision was made by students.

“As you know, the students were given a vote on how they would like to have graduation and we have accepted the majority vote,” she said.

“We feel it is important to follow the student’s wishes.”

The graduation which is set to take place on Wednesday night, will entail students enjoying pizza and having a disco on-campus.

A parent of a grade six student said he was concerned that the cohort were given the power to exclude other children’s parents under the premise that it was “pizza or parents”

“My daughter is distraught that her family can’t be there because a popularity contest decided on behalf of my family whether we can attend,” he said.

Parents will not be allowed to attend their children's graduation at Ceres Primary School. Pic: iStock.

“It is hard to believe the student body had the wisdom to contemplate that perspective.”

He said there was still confusion surrounding the reason why parents would not be invited with the vaccine mandate originally suggested as the cause.

“It jars when you have the Premier saying ‘we are open for business, we have done the hard work, there will be 100,000 at the MCG’, but you have a school living with the benefits of the vaccine economy but won’t have parents on school grounds,” he said.

“They are excluding everyone because some people aren’t vaccinated, that is not the society we are living in.

“Every other school you talk to are doing everything they can to restore normality.

“It is completely wrong; these are moments in life being taken away.”

A department of education and training spokesman said the school presented students with the same graduation model as the previous year.

“The 11 grade six students at Ceres Primary School took a vote to hold a student-only graduation ceremony,” he said.

“The ceremony will be recorded for parents and carers.”

Originally published as Vaccinated parents excluded from grade six graduation at Ceres Primary School