Carine Senior High School and Greenwood College slugging parents to attend Year 12 graduation ceremonies

Schools are slugging parents for the privilege of attending their child’s Year 12 graduation ceremonies at swanky venues such as Perth Concert Hall or the University of WA’s Winthrop Hall. A parent at Carine Senior High School — which is charging $30 a ticket for the milestone event at the Concert Hall in October — said while he did not mind paying, he was concerned the cost would be a barrier for some. “It’s a public high school,” he said. “It just smacks of a school wanting to be elitist and be regarded like a private school.” The parent said Carine had a large new performing arts centre where he believed a ceremony could be held. Northern suburbs public school Greenwood College will hold its graduation at UWA’s Winthrop Hall for $20 a ticket. One parent said she did not agree with “making such a fuss” about finishing high school. “It minimises any later accomplishments,” she said. A Perth Concert Hall spokesperson said there had been a slight increase in the number of schools interested in holding graduations there in recent years. About 10 schools a year used the venue, with half of those being public. A UWA spokeswoman said fewer than 10 schools held graduations at Winthrop Hall. Of those, most were public schools which “value the experience”. Education Department deputy director-general Melesha Sands said it was not unusual for secondary schools to charge an associated cost. Education Minister Sue Ellery said graduations were important milestones that should be accessible to all who had earned the right to attend. “I would expect schools to work with students and parents to ensure this happens,” she said. WA Council of State School Organisations president Pania Turner said her main concern was that cost did not deter parents from attending. “Prices of tickets should be well advertised ... so families can budget for such events,” she said.