Muck-up day antics 'taken too far' at Aussie high schools
Principals have been forced to speak out, condemning the carnage left behind.
With the end of the school year rapidly approaching, hundreds of thousands of Year 12 students across the country will soon graduate and officially enter society.
But for many, before that time comes, there's one last day of misbehaving to be had. With final exams underway or just around the corner, students at Aussie schools have been taking part in annual "muck-up day" pranks — which always attract controversy.
Some argue it's a rite of passage, and that kids should be afforded a day of harmless fun, while others — especially education staff — say the "tradition" is outdated and something that should be left in the past.
Victorian students accused of taking pranks too far
In Victoria especially, students have been accused of taking pranks too far in recent years, with police even having been called to some colleges in 2023 in response.
At Footscray High, a public school with three campuses around Melbourne, the "huge amount of mess" left behind after students' muck-up day pranks last week was heavily criticised by the school's principal.
After Vegemite, lubricant and polystyrene balls was smeared around the college, all 180 students in the cohort were made to clean up the chaos, though it's said only 10 were responsible, according to a frustrated parent.
Parents hit back
The parent argued it was unfair that the entire graduating class was punished — and barred from attending graduation events — due to the fact the school has CCTV footage of the vandalism occurring, The Herald Sun reported.
“The kids went in for their last day of school on Thursday and ended up on their knees cleaning — it was very disappointing for them,” the mum told the outlet. “The kids felt bad for the cleaners. There was no lasting damage but there was a huge amount of mess
“There was CCTV so they know who did it, so why not punish them and leave everyone else alone?”
Parents of students at other schools have also aired their objection to the reaction of education leaders over the pranks, with some branding them extreme, after the decision to cancel end of year events and even expelling some before they sit exams.
Elsewhere, Firbank Grammar was accused of “going too far” with their pranks, having caused serious damage to cars belonging to Year 12 students from a nearby private school.
Emmaus College, Marcellin College and Camberwell High School have also been flagged as schools that have seen over-the-top pranks carried out.
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