Well myself I like to see it be banned, sorry kids !!

We know that newly ex-Year 12 students finished 14 years of education (from Pre-school to Year 12), but Schoolies Week I heard have gone too far of having a good time by alcohol-related trouble at the Gold Coast !!

What should be banned is the feral element of non school leavers that stir things up!

NO

We need to stop spending money to "ban" things that you can't possibly ban.  You can't stop teenagers being teenagers just like you can't stop people smoking or drinking or taking drugs or all the other things that we try to ban.  All we do is spend obscene amounts of our money (it's not the government's money you know - we earned it and they took it without asking) trying in vain to police the bans.  None of these "bans" are ever going to be successful.

You can't ban something like Schoolies, its not possible. These graduates are still going to get together and have wild parties, no matter what the law says. It is a pity that so many feel the need to get drunk and violent. And thats the only coverage we ever get on Schoolies. Based ONLY on what I have seen and heard through the media, its just a drunken fest where girls are raped and guys are bashed. Does anyone have anything positive to say about Schoolies? I would like to have a balanced view.

Well, when I went 25 years ago, there was lots of easy sex to be had, and a few good fights, so I had fun. Dont think it has changed all that much.

It is not an organised event so it cant be banned. What they should do is prosecute parents who supply grog to their underage kids, and lock em up if found intoxicated. 95% of them will be under 18.

YES on behalf of ever young buck out there.
NO on behalf of every father out there.

NO

My daughter is going down to the Gold Coast when her half sister comes up from NSW with her BF to celebrate, she will stay with them the entire time. They will fly up. My daughter, 28 wants to keep an eye on her 17 yr old sister to keep her safe. My daughter goes down to the Gold Coast frequently with a girlfriend to go out, socialise and dance. Every weekend there are assaults, attacks, stabbings, rapes, other sexual assaults... you name it. Schoolies or no schoolies this happens all the time regardless. The problem with schoolies is the 'toolies' that think at their age (19-40) they can join in with the celebrations and they can't. The areas for schoolies are cordoned off and separated from the general public. They stray out of those areas in their alcohol (at the very least) induced haze and they end up fair game to these tools of society. Schoolies is deemed a 'rite of passage' and although I dread it every year at this time it is not our right to take this away from them. They have spent the majority of their lives, the last 13-14 years, in formal education, they do deserve to cut loose and let off steam. It is up to us to give them the tools and knowledge to get through the next few years, including schoolies, relatively unscathed.

Quoted from SuziH

NO
17 yr old

My daughter goes down to the Gold Coast frequently with a girlfriend to go out, socialise and dance.

Every weekend there are assaults, attacks, stabbings, rapes, other sexual assaults... you name it.

Er.... and you still let your 17 year old daughter go there?

No... the 17 year old is NOT my daughter she is my first husbands daughter from his 2nd marriage. My daughter is 28 and I had no problem with her wanting to go to Schoolies at the end of 1994. She was working and didn't want to go. My daughter is going to go to Surfer's Paradise (but not go to schoolies events), keeping an eye out for her half sister and her half sister's boyfriend. I was frankly very relieved when my very sensible, responsible daughter didn't want to attend schoolies 11 years ago BUT Schoolies is a far more organised and safer event than it was then, thank goodness.

When you think about it schoolies 'week' is a misnomer because it is longer than a week. Schoolies lasts up to three weeks with each influx of school leavers lasting around a week. NSW are now arriving on the Gold Coast with other's departing at the same time. Queenslanders are the first group to arrive at Schoolies.
This report is in today's National Nine News Online.

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=71376

14 arrested at schoolies
Friday Nov 25 18:29 AEDT

Police made 33 arrests during schoolies celebrations on the Gold Coast as they braced for an influx of NSW school leavers.

Fourteen of the 33 people arrested on 39 charges were schoolies.

Gold Coast district Superintendent Brett Pointing said police faced the biggest festival challenge this weekend when an expected 20,000 NSW school leavers descend on Surfers Paradise.

The strategies for police will change because NSW school leavers are mainly aged 18 and able to access licensed premises.

Police worry the combination of NSW and Queensland school leavers could create havoc on Surfer's Paradise streets.

Compared with this time last year, police had arrested 254 people, including 75 schoolies and 179 toolies (older people who gatecrash the festival).

This year at the same stage they have made 260 arrests - 65 schoolies and 195 toolies - indicating school leavers have generally been well behaved.

On Thursday night police confiscated a knife from a 17-year-old and arrested a schoolie for cannabis possession.

"Overall we thought the crowds were up and police had a very busy night," Supt Pointing said.

"One thing we did observe was a lot more minor scuffles.

"I think that's consistent with last year when towards the end of the first week people become tired and partied out.

"Last night we arrested a high percentage of people for disorderly conduct."

Quoted from Gizmo

Banning would never work

Prohibition just makes people more creative.

It always beats me WHY responsible parents let their underage kids go away on these trips when they KNOW full well it is a time of booze, sex and drugs.

Quoted from Lawnbowler

It always beats me WHY responsible parents let their underage kids go away on these trips when they KNOW full well it is a time of booze, sex and drugs.

Don't forget Lawnbowler that after letting their kids do this and something bad happens to their child they blame the government or the police or anyone but themselves.  

Quoted from cactus

Prohibition just makes people more creative.

I'm gonna make that a bumper sticker Cactus.  Have never heard it said better

Quoted from BSquared

I'm gonna make that a bumper sticker Cactus.

That's okay; I though you were gonna have a go at my comment given my stance on regulation (prohibition) in advertising!

SA Police arrested 19 people during schoolies' week in Victor, 18 of whom were not school leavers...

I'm starting to get a clearer picture of Schoolies now. It does seem to be the Toolies that cause the problems.

Toolies (read Tools) permeate every facet of our lives. When the Schoolies aren't on the Gold Coast the Toolies are still their doing what they do best, being tools.
I think it stinks that the 'organisers' of 'Schoolies' in Surfer's have closed up shop and left. No Beach Disco's for NSW and Victorian schoolies. No organised fun. No BMX displays. NOTHING for anyone under 18. They claim that most schoolies from the southern states are 18 or over and therefore can go to licenced premises. There are a lot of student/schoolies who are under 18. What do they get to do? This was not made known until today when the organisers began to pack up. There wont even be assistance for those young adults who need it for example: if they are drunk, attacked, sexually molested or suffering the effects of drugs. There will be regular police and ambulance services but that's it. I think it stinks and I believe the Gold Coast City Council have made a huge blunder and tourism will be the loser (after the new influx of Schoolies who are the real losers right now).

This guy has been banned from Schoolies!

Schoolies 'brawler' banned
Joel Dullroy
29nov05

AN alleged serial Schoolies brawler has been banned from returning to Surfers Paradise after being arrested for the third night in a row.

Southport magistrate Catherine Pirie yesterday ordered 17-year-old Adam James Pluta to stay away from Schoolies celebrations for the rest of the event.

Pluta was charged with causing a public nuisance after allegedly attempting to start a fight with a fellow Schoolies reveller who was dancing with his estranged girlfriend.

It was Pluta's second Schoolies-related court appearance in three days. On Saturday he pleaded guilty to charges of common assault and assault occasioning bodily harm and was fined $2050.

That same evening television crews filmed Pluta being arrested on the beach for further alleged offences.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Jim Pedlow said Pluta was a repeat offender who should not be allowed back into Surfers Paradise.

"He was arrested every night for three nights, and was previously warned by police," Sgt Pedlow said.

"He was seen with his fists raised . . . he constantly stated that he wanted to smash the other person."

Ms Pirie released Pluta on bail until December 9 on the condition that he "not attend Surfers Paradise".

However, Pluta loudly objected to the condition and insisted he had a right to continue partying.

"It's my Schoolies year. I was trying to have a good time," said Pluta, an apprentice renderer from Southport.

School leavers from southern states will continue to celebrate their Schoolies Week until Friday night.

The official 10-day beachfront entertainment program ended on Sunday night, and schoolies are now expected to retreat to nightclubs to find entertainment.

Police have been kept far busier in the second week of Schoolies, with a higher number of arrests of both school leavers and gatecrashers at the weekend.

Article in todays Courier Mail (Brisbane paper) about how kids are going to Thailand instead, no enforcement of drinking laws and much cheaper.

Actually I am suprised this has not occured earlier.

It is obvious that not ALL schoolies from all over Oz go to the Gold Coast, it just seems that way at the time! I have heard of school leavers going offshore, on cruises, and visiting Qld Islands. Here on the Sunny Coast many quieter more studious and serious school leavers have been seen having an enjoyable but inconspicuous time.  

Ban whom, from what, when and how? If your intention is to ban young people and others from migrating to Queensland ask yourself those questions

Maybe we should keep Queensland for the boring!

My 28 year old daughter went down to 'watch over' her 17yo sister and her sister's boyfriend. She spent only 3 days with them last week as it got washed out. While she was there she found the management and staff of the accommodations rude, disrespectful and taking advantage of green kids who have yet to learn about life. The kids paid exorbitant prices for accommodation and were treated like less than human beings. In one unit block the management and staff would burst into the rooms unannounced and rifle through all the schoolies belongings, then leave. All hours of the day and night. My daughter went to enter a place as a 'guest' of a paying guest to use the pool which under normal circumstances IS allowed but not that week, she was told to leave. When questioning the staff as to why she was treated badly. She is a strong girl my daughter and insisted they answer her question that if it was any other week but Schoolies would she be allowed to enter as a guest of a guest. They eventually answered her...'Yes'. When she was scheduled to leave there was a time she had to be out by. She was running a few minutes late, rang the reception to tell them and a woman ripped through her and said she had to be out NOW. My daughter tried to get a word in and tell the woman why she was running late and that she would be another 10 minutes Max. In the end she was persistent enough for the woman to actually listen and said 'I WILL be out in 10 minutes, I just have to pack up my things and I will leave.' I would not return to a place that treated me with such disrespect. These kids should warn everyone about what a rip off it is and how badly they were treated.

Well you dont think they put up with the underage drinking and partying out of the goodness of there hearts - they are taking as much advantage as the older kids and others whom also go to schoolies - its like the annual sardine run, all the sharks show up.

I think schoolies sounds bad, I don't want to go, to the coast. Not to say I wouldn't go elsewhere.. but not the sunshine/gold coast.
BTW most Qld people are 17 when they finish school, but nsw people are 18 :S

lol awful
that would just make people rebel

and it's no better this year.  I do think that the QLD. govt. is partially at fault, or at least complete morons,  if what this report says is true...

Quoted Text

It also came as the Queensland Government faced criticism for allowing the open sale of drug paraphernalia at chemists offering "schoolies week specials" on bongs and the $20 glass pipes used to take the drug ice.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,20820068-2,00.html

Quoted from BSquared

NO

We need to stop spending money to "ban" things that you can't possibly ban.  You can't stop teenagers being teenagers just like you can't stop people smoking or drinking or taking drugs or all the other things that we try to ban.  All we do is spend obscene amounts of our money (it's not the government's money you know - we earned it and they took it without asking) trying in vain to police the bans.  None of these "bans" are ever going to be successful.

... that is SO true...

I didn't go to schoolies. I don't like the drugs and the assaults that happen every year, so I instead had a party with my mates. Apart from alcohol, there was nothing dangerous there. However, I don't think Schoolies should be banned. It's the toolies that are ruining it for everyone.

Yeah stupid creepy adults!!
Only 2 years until I finish

Quoted from dara

I think schoolies sounds bad, I don't want to go, to the coast. Not to say I wouldn't go elsewhere.. but not the sunshine/gold coast.
BTW most Qld people are 17 when they finish school, but nsw people are 18 :S

You should of written 'most NSW school leavers are 18' not all are Dara. My daughter was born in April and after year 12 would of turned 18 the following April. Several of her friends were in the same situation. I am happy to say my daughter never had any desire to have a week long holiday at any schoolies venue. We were on the Sunny Coast by then and she worked as well as attending school, from the age of 14. She has made up for the lack of schoolies since turning 18 though. And YES Dara, it is the adult or non-school leavers who ruin it (mostly) for the real school leavers.

I'm not 18 yet

Lol
well mainly in nsw cuz if i was there i would only be in year 9, because of the prep year they are a year behind.

Most in SA are 17 when they finish year 12.

Thats still not old enough to drink and go on the binge....................I said last year it should be stopped and nothing this year has made me change my mind.

Yes, those outrageous kids shouldn't be out at all.
What is schoolies about? Sex, drug, stealing, and destroying properties.

It's actually the toolies that bring this to the parties, not the party goers themselves.

And I wouldn't call them kids

Quoted from dara

Yeah stupid creepy adults!! . . .

Nice!

Quoted from normangerman

It's actually the toolies that bring this to the parties, not the party goers themselves.

Now you are fooling yourself . . of course many of the 'schoolies' use/take drugs to this event.

Quoted from normangerman

And I wouldn't call them kids

Come back and talk to us when you are 21 . . you will look back on that comment with deep embarrassment . .  

Just wait 'til you have given life to a baby and nurtured it, cared for its health, educated it and loved it fully for 17-18 years . . then he/she goes off to 'schoolies' with thousands of other teens  . . and is returned to you either dead. . or worse . . brain injured for life . . just remember, he was having fun!!  and it was all in the spirit of youthful game playing    . .  you will only understand the fear of parents . .when you are one.

If I have kids, I wouldn't allow my boy to get wild with schoolie as an excuse, and I would tell my daughter how easy it is to get drugged then raped.

A sane people won't stay in the same accommodation with uncontrollable schoolie kids. They showed no respect to any properties and expected to get trapped in the fire.

"and is returned to you either dead. . or worse . . brain injured for life"

Hmm, I can't remember hearing about anyone killed out there... or even getting brain damage. And neither have I heard anything of houses on fire or property damage...

Quoted from normangerman

"and is returned to you either dead. . or worse . . brain injured for life"

Hmm, I can't remember hearing about anyone killed out there... or even getting brain damage. And neither have I heard anything of houses on fire or property damage...

Let me fix that right now .  . .he is in a coma.  

http://www.gcbulletin.com.au/article/2006/11/24/2002_printstory.html

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20813688-5006786,00.html

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,20813388-1702,00.html