There’s a Petition to Stop the NSW Government From Banning School Formals and Graduations

The events have been banned for Term 3.

There is simply no denying that students have had it tough this year. The coronavirus pandemic has forced students to adapt to remote learning and deal with mass uncertainty. 

For students in Year 12, 2020 has been particularly rough. While your final year of high school should be about studying hard for exams and making memories with your pals, Year 12s have already missed out on valuable face-to-face time with their teachers and peers. 

That's why students and parents are pretty damn annoyed that school formals and graduation ceremonies have been banned in New South Wales for Term 3. 

Earlier this week, the NSW government announced that no school formals, dances, graduation or other social events will be allowed to go ahead in Term 3, in order to stop the spread of coronavirus. 

#BREAKING NSW school students have some new rules.

Formals, dances, graduation ceremonies, choirs and all social events have been banned in NSW government schools in a bid to stop the spread of coronavirus.#covid19nsw #NSWschools #NewRules pic.twitter.com/zeeTrlDNvE

— BigBadDenis 🗯💻💪 (@BigBadDenis) August 17, 2020

On top of that, interschool sport, drama, debating and other events outside of the local community or zone including gala days and regional sporting carnivals are also banned. 

All public schools in the state were required to adopt the changes from Wednesday 19 August. 

Traditionally, Year 12 graduation ceremonies occur in Term 3 before students break for study leave ahead of HSC exams. 

It's entirely understandable that Year 12 students are especially frustrated by the ban, considering they've faced the unique situation of finishing high school during a global pandemic.

In fact, the ABC reports that mother-of-three Debbie Terrantroy from Central Coast has started an online petition calling on the NSW government to reconsider its "unfair" and "unreasonable" ban on school formals and graduations.

Since launching the petition on Tuesday, it has gained more than 35,000 signatures from both students and parents.

Mrs Terrantroy pointed out that if you can still have 150 people at a wedding in NSW, the same regulations should apply to school formals and graduations.

In the description of Mrs Terrantroy's Change.org petition, she wrote, "Why are schools not being given the option of holding multiple staged graduation assemblies which would allow for social distancing measures so parents can attend & be part of this milestone in their children's lives?"

no one even dare tell me that graduation and formal and all the other perks of year 12 “aren’t even that good” because at least you had the option to participate literally everything has been ripped away from my ~year 12 experience~

— 🌺💐🌼🥀 (@jessy8123) August 17, 2020

Although, there is always a chance that school formals and graduations will be allowed to go ahead depending on health advice. 

Yesterday, NSW Premier Gladys Berejklian said there was a possibility that graduation ceremonies could be held at the end of the year. 

"Once the HSC is finished, there will be an opportunity for [NSW] Health to consider schools having those ceremonies once those exams are over," she said.

At this stage, we're still unsure whether Schoolies will go ahead. 

god these new school restrictions are tough, i’m so lucky i graduated last year bc i cant imagine year 12 without the fun bits like sport and carnivals and dance and formal :(

— soph⁷⁺¹ᴰ𖧵 (@jiminsstyles) August 17, 2020

Header Image: AwesomenessTV