No Schoolies! I wouldn’t be so certain about that
If they can book it, they will come. Politicians might have cancelled the official Schoolies celebrations, but it seems the businesses behind it are still fighting for their right to party.
Despite Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announcing last week that the state-sponsored side of the festival would be axed, official Schoolies accommodation and event provider schoolies.com is not joining the party.
In fact, they are actively encouraging school-leavers to still come to the Gold Coast, even as our Mayor Tom Tate is begging them to stay away.
Here’s just a sample from the schoolies.com ‘Coronavirus - Frequently Asked Questions’ page:
“I haven’t yet booked for Schoolies 2020, should I?
“Yes! All students deserve the opportunity to celebrate the end of their school years.
“Why do I keep hearing rumours that Schoolies is cancelled?
“Schoolies occurs whenever and wherever young people travel to celebrate the completion of Year 12. It is not controlled by one organisation or destination. Some of the optional events and activities typically associated with Schoolies that may be organised by government agencies or other enterprises may need to be withdrawn or adjusted to fit in with restrictions, however changes to these events or activities does not mean that your schoolies holiday is cancelled.”
In other words, don’t worry about the advice of state and city leaders, give us your money and come party even though there will be little in the way of official support and guidance.
Of course schoolies.com will take a financial hit should they follow government advice – but it’s 2020 y’all, who hasn’t?
Their push for schoolleavers to still come to town is exactly the type of response feared by Surfers Paradise MP John Paul Langbroek.
“It begs the question, whether the Chief Health Officer has to tell accommodation houses they can’t rent their rooms out. That’s what happened at the peak of the pandemic,” he said.
But it’s the questionable FAQ advice from schoolies.com that really goes to the heart of concerns from parents, residents and leaders alike of the business that Schoolies has become.
While the end-of-year festival began organically on the Gold Coast, by the early 2000s the State Government was forced to step in as violence and bad behaviour went wild.
Their funding meant more planned events, more oversight of health risks and concerns and an emphasis on safety. Suddenly, Schoolies was an official event … and its popularity soared.
Of course, flying high alongside its success was private company schoolies.com, which has become the one-stop shop for school-leavers and parents.
When we talk about who can actually cancel Schoolies, it’s not the State Government
– it’s this business.
And, unfortunately, it sometimes appears that dollars and cents is its main concern.
Just last year, Drug and Alcohol Research and Training Australia founder Paul Dillon suggested that Schoolies should be shortened from a seven-day festival to three days.
“In South Australia and Western Australia, Schoolies is three nights – and that’s exactly what it should be,” said
Paul, who visits more than 200 schools across the country every year to educate and raise awareness amongst students regarding the risks of drugs and alcohol.
“On the Gold Coast the only booking option is for a full week package, it’s too much. A week is a long time for anyone to flat-out party. It’s too much time to experiment with risky behaviours, it’s too much time away from home and up all night which is when we see
kids really burn out emotionally, mentally and physically.
“But it’s a business, and there is money to be made - which is why we probably won’t see shorter packages offered.”
And sure enough, even in the midst of a pandemic, a seven-day stay is all that’s available to book.
Maybe the curse of COVID could be a blessing in disguise when it comes to Schoolies. This could be our opportunity to really rethink what and who we want for this rite-ofpassage party.
There needs to be a conversation between government and private operators to ensure the welfare of students and our city is always at the heart of this festival.
And if they can’t follow the rules, we might just have to crash their party.
Read Ann Wason Moore every Tuesday and Saturday in the Bulletin