Schoolies pressured to drink: chaplaincy group.

The above article appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald on 14 November 2012.

With the arrival of the infamous Schoolies Week the media is rightly turning their attention to the lack of options out there for those wanting to celebrate the end of Year 12.

There is a portion of the Year 12 community that want to 'live it large' and party hard in the traditional scenes. However, are these young revellers actually the minority?

WES responding to the call for more ‘alternate’ Schoolies ideas!
 

Missing from the start of Schoolies Week on the Gold Coast this Saturday will be the many Year 12 students sitting at home watching the alcohol fuelled chaos on television because they feel there are no alternatives out there for them.

World Expeditions Schools (WES) has responded to calls from concerned parents and various organisations - even Year 12 students themselves -  to provide alternative options for Schoolies by releasing six trips designed ‘specially for schoolies wanting more from their end of school celebration.

Building on our offering last year of alternative Schoolies adventures to Nepal and Vietnam, we have added four new destinations to the 2013 program.  Now, students can take part in a guided, action based trip that gets them off the main tourist trails in Cambodia, Laos, along China’s Great Wall and Thailand in the company of other school leavers.

“As well as providing options for Year 12 students, it’s also critical that we begin to teach them responsible ways of travelling as travel will surely be on the immediate wish list for many young students”, says World Expeditions Schools brand manager, Brad Atwal.

“They are part of a significant market, with an estimated 160 million young travellers globally worth more than US$173 billion a year.   Recently published studies reveal that around 70% of 16-29 year old travellers seek out authentic experiences which grow them as an individual such as learning a language, working and volunteering abroad and increasing awareness of diverse cultures and it’s these kind of experiences that our Schoolies alternatives aim to provide.”

“As a parent, where would you rather invest your money? Flush it down a Gold Coast toilet or expand your child’s view of the world by giving them exposure local communities and people often less fortunate than themselves.”

Atwal suggests parents of students in Year 10 and 11 should start discussing options early so that students can take advantage of cheaper airfares and even help to pay for their trips simply by planning in advance.

“Cost wise, the overseas options are on par with many Gold Coast packages. The alternatives are out there and growing, they just need to be supported.’

View World Expeditions Schools' alternative Schoolies Adventures.