https://www.facebook.com/Petition-for-NSW-Year-12-students-to-hold-Graduation-Assemblies-Formals-110774824073238/

This year due to Covid19 has been an extremely disruptive & detrimental year for year 12 students in what is their most critical year of schooling.

It seems unreasonable for schools to not allow parents to attend their child's graduation assemblies & unreasonable for them not to be able to attend a formal.

As per current regulations in NSW, shopping centres, sporting matches, pubs & clubs are open. And yet parents & children are being denied to attend such an important event?

Year 12 students & their parents deserve better. I ask you the following.

1. Why are students being told of this during their HSC trials? Timing could not be worse.

2. 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?

As per current regulations in NSW, venues such as clubs can have 300 seated people. Corporate Events can have 150 people attending. Places of worship can host 100 people & weddings.

3. Why are schools not being given the option of holding multiple formals so as to adhere with current guidelines for venues such as clubs?

4. Why is allowing a crowd at a football game more important than our children's graduation from school?

5. Most Local Government areas have no active cases. So where is the 'health advice' that has determined that for a Graduation Ceremony.....

Having the Year 12 Cohort sitting together in a hall or outdoor area

And having parents sitting or standing with correct social distancing being practiced is high risk?

Isn't thousands of strangers attending an NRL game much more of a high risk activity?

6. Most schools have a small cohort of year 12 students, so most could hold formales under the 150 people guidelines as per a corporate event. If they have larger cohorts, then hold two formals.

I'm sure parents & teachers alike would be happy to act as Covid Marshalls ensuring students are seated. 

Masks can be worn. Temperature checks can be conducted. There are SO many options for this to be done safely.

Year 12 students have dealt with enough disruption this year and the unfair & unreasonable denial to students & their parents to attend their child's graduation assemblies & formals is clearly lacking in insight & is unreasonable & incompatible with current restrictions in NSW.