Schoolies information for parents

What is schoolies?

Schoolies week is an unofficial celebration to mark the end of Year 12 studies and exams – that is, the end of secondary school for students in Australia.

The schoolies tradition involves school-leavers going on a holiday with their school friends for a week or so. There are a few popular and well-known places for schoolies celebrations, including the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast in Queensland, beach towns in New South Wales, South Australia and Western Australia, and overseas locations like Bali.

Some school-leavers are keen to go to a schoolies celebration. Others aren’t interested or are more focused on part-time work or saving money for travel, education, living expenses and so on.

You might hear a lot of bad news about schoolies week in the media. But most young people come back from schoolies healthy and happy, satisfied that they’ve said goodbye to their school years and ready to start a new phase.

When your child finishes Year 12, it’s a big milestone for your whole family. So while you’re thinking about schoolies, it’s also important to talk about how you can celebrate as a family. You could plan a special dinner or consider a weekend away together.

Should you let your child go to schoolies?

It’s understandable if you have mixed feelings about your teenage child going away without adult supervision. It’s natural to be concerned about your child’s safety and wellbeing. But it’s also important to think about why your child might want to go to schoolies.

The end of secondary schooling is a big deal. It’s the end of one journey and the beginning of another – no surprises that your teenage child wants to mark the occasion!

If your child has put a big effort into their Year 12 studies, your child might be looking forward to relaxing and marking the end of school with friends.

Your child might also soon be moving away from home for work, study or travel, so schoolies can be a special time with school friends they might not see much in the future.

And your child might feel like the world is about to open up for them. Schoolies might be the first time your child has been on holidays by themselves, so it’s an exciting new experience that can build your child’s independence and readiness for young adulthood.

If you’re wondering about whether you should let your child go to schoolies, it might help to know that you can find a balance between giving your child independence and keeping them safe.

Open communication about schoolies

The best preparation for schoolies week starts early and involves plenty of communication between you and your child.

Talk early and often

It’s likely your child will start talking about schoolies in Year 11, so it pays to have early conversations before your child starts detailed planning with friends.

Share expectations

The first thing is to find out what your child wants for the end of Year 12. Is your child interested in going to schoolies? Does your child want to go to a big event like the one on the Gold Coast, or is your child more interested in joining up with a smaller group of friends somewhere else?

It’s OK for you to say what you think about schoolies. You might not want your child to go away at all. Or you might be OK with your child going somewhere, but not to a big festival.

As you share expectations, you might find that your top priority is keeping your child safe, but your child’s priority is having fun. Understanding each other’s perspectives is a step towards a compromise that works for both of you.

There are also practical things to consider, like who’s going to pay for schoolies activities.

Work on compromise

If your child’s priorities and expectations of schoolies are different from yours, you might need to work on a compromise.

You could do this by looking at the pros and cons of different options – for example, comparing the big event on the Gold Coast with a more private celebration somewhere else. You could also look at different events to see which ones have organised programs, volunteer support teams, safety services and so on.

Our guide to problem-solving with teenagers can help you work through pros and cons to come up with an agreement you can both live with.

Negotiate boundaries

Although your child is getting older and doing many things independently, they still need you to set boundaries. In fact, young people often depend on the promises they make to parents to explain to friends why they can’t do certain things.

And if you and your child negotiate boundaries together, your child is more likely to stick to them. For example, as part of setting boundaries for safe behaviour at schoolies, you can ask what your child thinks the risks of schoolies might be. Then you and your child can think about behaviour that can help your child avoid those risks.

Negotiating gives you and your child the chance to work through different scenarios and come up with ways for your child to stay safe. And it sends a message to your child that you trust their ability to make good decisions.

Helping your child plan a schoolies budget

Your child will need a budget to ensure that they have enough money while they’re at schoolies.

You can help your child to plan a budget that includes:

the cost of getting to schoolies
accommodation costs, including holding deposits and rental bonds
daily living costs, including food, transport and costs of celebrating
shopping allowance
emergency money.

If your child is going to an international destination, they might also need to plan for the costs of a passport, visa, travel vaccinations, travel insurance and airfares.

Planning a schoolies budget is a good way for your child to start developing responsibility and life skills like money management.

Advice about alcohol and other drugs for your teen

Laws about underage drinking

If your child is under the legal age for drinking, it’s important to make sure they understand the law before they head off to schoolies:

It’s illegal for young people under the age of 18 to drink in licensed premises anywhere in Australia.
In most states, it’s illegal to supply alcohol to anyone under the age of 18. In some states parents or legal guardians are the only ones who can supply alcohol. Other parents can be charged and convicted for giving alcohol to young people.
Other countries have different laws about underage drinking. For example, in Indonesia, it’s illegal for young people aged under 21 years to drink.

Tips for teenage safety around alcohol

If your child is legally allowed to drink, these tips can help them stay safe:

Limit the amount you drink and how often you drink.
Know how much alcohol is in various types of alcoholic drinks, and avoid drinks with a high alcohol content.
Drink plenty of non-alcoholic fluids so that you don’t get dehydrated, or alternate alcohol with water.
Buy your own drinks, and avoid getting involved in buying ‘rounds’ of drinks.
Plan how to handle pressure to drink more than you’re comfortable with.
Don’t let your drinks out of your sight. This can prevent drink-spiking.
Avoid swimming, heights, arguments, fights or dangerous activities if you’ve been drinking or using any substances.

You can also talk about the risks of binge-drinking and what your child will do if they’re offered illegal drugs.

There have been cases of methanol poisoning in tourist locations overseas. In these cases, methanol has been used in cocktails and other drinks. Drinking at reputable venues, avoiding cheap deals or free drinks, and drinking only trusted brands from sealed bottles or cans can reduce the risk of methanol poisoning.

Schoolies safety tips for your teen

These tips for your child can help them avoid dangerous situations and stay safe at schoolies.

Out and about

Never go out alone without friends. Always stay with your friends when you’re out and look out for each other.
Don’t get into a car or a boat with anyone who has been drinking or taking drugs, or with anyone you don’t know.
Have enough spare money to pay for a taxi. Not all locations have Uber or other ride-sharing services.
Try to stick to a curfew each night.

Around other people

Don’t let people you don’t know into your accommodation.
Avoid people who are involved in illegal activities or excessive drinking and older people who aren’t part of schoolies activities.
Give and get consent for any sexual activity. If you’re sexually active, practise safe sex by using condoms.

General personal safety

Register as a school-leaver with a schoolies organisation or local council.
Always have a charged phone with you.
Make sure you have extra money just for emergencies.
Store the details of the nearest police station and medical centre on your phone. Keep a paper copy of this information too.
Call police (000) if you feel unsafe or you see threatening or violent behaviour.

If your child is going overseas, it’s a good idea to talk with them about local laws. In some countries breaking the law can result in jail sentences or heavy fines. Smartraveller.gov.au has reliable and useful information about overseas destinations.

Staying in touch with your teen during schoolies

You need to know where your child is and be able to contact your child:

Have the address and phone number of where your child is staying.
Have the names and mobile phone numbers of the friends travelling with your child.
Confirm the group’s plans with the parents of your child’s friends.
Make a copy of your child’s travel documents if they’re going overseas.

You might want to set expectations about how your child will keep in touch with you. For example, will they keep in touch regularly or only if there’s an emergency?

If your child has a health condition, you could set up a ‘check in’ system with your child. For example, your child might agree to text you at the end of the day or every morning to confirm that they’re OK.

If there’s an emergency, your child needs to know that they can call you at any time of the day or night and that you’ll help your child or their friends.