Ban the prom!
Education chiefs say schools should ditch showy end of term parties... and have a cheap day out
IT’S the glossy American import that has become a rite of passage for school leavers in Scotland.
But it seems the end-of-year prom is proving a headache for cash-strapped parents – with calls to axe them to avoid ‘stigmatising’ poorer pupils.
School leavers’ events have become big business in recent years – with parents spending hundreds of pounds on tickets, clothes and limousines for the extravagant affairs.
There have even been reports of pupils arriving at proms by helicopter – limos or vintage cars are de rigueur. Some estimate parents are spending up to £30million a year on these events.
But a report by City of Edinburgh Council has said schools should drop the proms for a day at the beach, a barbecue or even community service.
Experts have made the recommendation after noting the ‘competitive and ostentatious’ spending that often goes hand in hand with leaving balls.
They have claimed that this can be
‘They are very socially exclusive’
‘stigmatising’ for disadvantaged students who struggle to meet the cost of proms.
The report is entitled One in Five: Raising Awareness of Child Poverty in Edinburgh.
It was a general examination of poverty in Edinburgh schools, but had some particular insights on the issue of proms.
It said: ‘This report found that 71 per cent of parents said they had struggled with the cost of school.
‘These costs can include, for example, buying uniforms and other essential equipment (eg, stationery), paying for school trips and one-off events like school proms, or affording subject choices that have material costs.
‘Concerns were raised about “end of school leaver proms” or similar such events and the associated competitive and ostentatious spend that often takes place amongst many pupils as a result.’
According to the report, such high spending causes ‘stigma’ among pupils whose parents can’t meet the costs.
Some schools have already reduced the expense for parents by holding a barbecue rather than a prom.
The report offered alternative events for school leavers, based on suggestions from parents and children. It said: ‘Instead of an “American-style prom” which can become competitive, consider low-cost alternatives like a day at the beach or making the event about doing something for the community.’
One concerned mother-of-one in Edinburgh agreed that the costs were excluding pupils.
She said: ‘They had to pay £50 for a ticket for an upmarket city centre hotel – but on top of that probably spent twice as much on clothing and accessories.
‘Some of the boys were expected to spend £20 on a corsage for the girl they were taking. In my day it was a flour and egg fight on the playing field and that was you in the “real” world.
‘The marketing people have triumphed – but these events create a lot of worry for less well-off people.’
She added: ‘From the pre-drinks party at the house of one of the parents you could tell it was very socially exclusive.’
The report also provided a general overview of other problems facing poorer parents and students in the capital’s schools.
It revealed that the average cost of a school year – at a non-feepaying state school – is now £800.
This includes the cost of uniform – £159 – and subjects such as ICT and food technology, which can require equipment costing up to £90 each.