THE PRINCIPAL of Karabar High School and Distance Education Centre Andrew Turvey has stood by his decision to cancel the Year 10 formal describing it as "a relic of the past".
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Mr Turvey announced to students last week there would no longer be a year 10 formal. Instead, it will be replaced with an end of year excursion and dinner.
The principal said his reasons for axing the formal had to do with the change in school leaving age which has increased to 17-years-old.
"These days 99 per cent of students move on to senior school," Mr Turvey said.
"Back in the 1930 and 40s, students would receive their leaving certificate and that's when they would have the formal. That's no longer the case, it's very rare for students to leave in year ten."
While that may be the case, a number of community members described the decision as "disappointing" and "unfortunate" following a post on the Queanbeyan Age Facebook page earlier this week.
The post attracted more than 80 comments with the majority believing the decision was unfair.
Leeanne Collins Perry wrote: "I...am a very disappointed parent. I think the kids deserve to have it given back to them".
Jodie Green said her daughter and friend had already started planning which dresses to wear. She said she was "saddened" by the decision.
While some had argued that there would be students leaving to continue their studies at TAFE or take up apprenticeships, Mr Turvey said that was still moving on to further studies, not leaving school all together.
"It's a relic of the past," he said. "There a very few high schools that hold a year ten formal these days."
Mr Turvey admitted his decision was not met without criticism. Students and some parents expressed their disappointment but that was to be expected.
"You get the usual complaints but after the initial shock and when people understand the reason then they think 'oh, ok'. I have had a couple of parents ring me up but after explaining the situation many say 'that makes sense'," he said.
"Some parents are thankful as they know the cost and expense of a formal. Preparing for a year ten and year twelve formal, it just seems like double dipping."
Year ten formals are becoming less and less common with Queanbeyan High School doing away with the tradition three years ago. Instead, year ten students are treated to a dinner in term three.
"A lot of schools are moving away from the formal because year ten is no longer considered the end of school life," Queanbeyan High School principal John Clark said.
"We still maintain the dinner as a recognition of the age of the students but it doesn't have the formal status that it used to have."
Mr Clark said he too received some backlash when it was first announced they would no longer hold a year ten formal. However, he said working with the school community was the best solution.
"It's a tradition that has been there quite some time but it's a matter of working with the students, parents and the community over a long period of time to establish a new routine and culture," he said.
"For us, we still have the formal dinner but we no longer have the photos in the park. We reserve that as a rite of passage for year 12 students."