Muck-up day cancellations call for some old school common courtesy
Whether it’s primary or secondary, leaving school is a momentous rite of passage in every student’s life. But muck-up day madness suggests end-of-year etiquette could help keep the farewell fun
READING LEVEL: ORANGE
The “wild rumpus” of children’s classic Where the Wild Things Are is nothing compared to the mischief made by students during muck up days through the ages. Some of these muck ups are so monumental they have become the stuff of myth and legend. You may have heard tales tall and true of Year 12 cohorts who have truly taken things too far, while other larks are less libelous*, like the comedians at one school who reportedly turned their swimming pool into a giant bubble bath.
But schools across Australia have cracked down to curb the crazier stunts, rebranding the tradition as more civilised “celebration days”. Some have instituted an immediate clean-up once the mess is made, while others have outright banned the event.
As with anything social worth its salt, there are some modern rules of engagement worth considering to ensure everyone has a great day without “mucking it up” for everyone else with some old school commonsense and common courtesy*.
KEEP IT BRIEF
At one private girls’ school in Victoria, the class of 2025’s antics lasted about an hour until the clean-up began, after students liberally littered hallways with cups and chair barricades, draped bathrooms in streamers, and removed locker locks.
A spokeswoman for the school noted that “any mess the students made, they responsibly cleaned up before the start of the school day”.
“The final day ended with a student-led assembly which celebrated their contribution to the life of the school,” she said. “Our focus remains on fostering positive experiences as we approach end-of-year events for the Class of 2025.”
That’s the kind of solid muck up day report card that keeps the tradition alive for all the kids who follow.
KEEP IT SIMPLE
Toilet paper is the universal calling card of school muck up days – and it’s fully recyclable, so it’s a waste win as well. Streamers can also go in the paper bin but be careful of running dye damaging property if streamers get wet.
At one Catholic college, exuberant students covered classrooms and hallways in streamers, toilet paper and plastic wrap.
They also planted a For Sale sign at the front gate – extra points for being funny and harmless.
KEEP AUSTRALIA BEAUTIFUL
Avoid the example of students at one Victorian school, who made a massive mess then posted clips of polystyrene balls strewn across the carpet and poured into desk drawers.
Muck up day marks deducted for environmental impact.
Go ahead and move some furniture, open a few lockers and throw some paper on the floor, but pesky polystyrene balls are not only a nightmare to collect and dispose of, they easily blow away, where they become serious hazards for animals and toddlers. They also get washed into stormwater drains and end up in the ocean, where they kill marine life. Just. Say. No.
MUCK DAY MODERATION
With official celebrations off the cards at many schools, unhappy students took their protests online, posting tongue-in-cheek* TikTok reels of themselves flipping a single chair upside down, scribbling on whiteboards, or dramatically flicking power switches.
Students at Aquinas College Ringwood even launched a petition against a total ban on the day.
“Many schools have successfully kept this tradition alive by putting in place clear guidelines, supervision, and themed activities that ensure both safety and enjoyment,” the petition said.
“We are more than willing to work within such boundaries. What we cannot accept is being excluded from a tradition that every other cohort before us has been allowed to enjoy.”
Responding to social media posts of student dissatisfaction at Aquinas and Craigieburn Secondary College, a Victorian Department of Education spokesman said: “Reaching the final day of school is a great milestone* for students”.
“The students at both schools followed the guidelines of what they were allowed to do in celebrating their final day and, where necessary, assisted in the clean-up,” he said.
Advance warning, like agreeing to guidelines and working with the school that has been your second home – in many cases for six years – is a smart place to start. Imagine someone you knew and trusted coming into your home and wrecking all your stuff – where’s the fun in that?
POLL
GLOSSARY
- libelous: involving libel, which is attacking someone’s good name or reputation or saying or publishing anything false or slanderous
- courtesy: polite behaviour, respect and consideration for others
- calling card: a sign or action that commonly identifies a person or thing
- tongue-in-cheek: not serious, clearly intended as a joke
- milestone: an important event in the development or history of something or in someone’s life
EXTRA READING
Student assembly ban for false nails
Students protest school’s personal grooming policy
Aussie students fight mullet ban
QUICK QUIZ
- The muck day have been renamed by some schools as what kind of day?
- What did the students at Aquinas College Ringwood do and why?
- What are some of the problems caused by polystyrene balls?
- Students at one school turned their swimming pool into what?
- In which children’s classic does a “wild rumpus” famously feature?
LISTEN TO THIS STORY
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. What would you do?
Can you think of a positive but fun way to celebrate your last day of school? Write a plan for your last day of school. The rule is that there can be nothing that has to be cleaned up!
Time: allow at least 20 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English
2. Extension
Do you agree or disagree with banning muck up day? Write a very convincing argument. You must write your argument about the side that you don’t agree with!
Time: allow at least 20 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English
VCOP ACTIVITY
Read with Kung Fu punctuation
Pair up with the article between you and stand up to make it easy to demonstrate your Kung Fu punctuation.
Practise reading one sentence at a time. Now read it again, while acting out the punctuation as you read.
Read and act three sentences before swapping with your partner.
Take two turns each.
Now ask your partner to read a sentence out loud while you try and act out the punctuation. Can you keep up? Swap over?
Try acting out two sentences – are you laughing yet?