More than 1,000 of you have had your say on the cancellation of Cults Academy’s leavers’ ball.
The bash was called off after the head teacher was allegedly ‘egged’ by final year pupils on their last day.
Students had been due to celebrate the end of their school days in style at Ardoe House Hotel in Aberdeen.
However, head David Barnett wrote to parents outlining his decision to cancel the much-anticipated party.
And despite many voicing disagreement with Mr Barnett’s actions, 55% of voters in our poll agreed with his decision to cancel the leavers’ ball. Only 45% thought cancelling the ball unfair.
Hundreds of you took to our website and social media pages to comment on the original story. Many thought the punishment an overreaction, and criticised the use of collective punishment.
‘Concerns me that a majority think collective punishment is acceptable’
One such parent told The Press and Journal of his surprise at the poll results.
“I am surprised, I would have expected my view to be the majority,” he said.
“I suspect most of the people voting that way are not parents, certainly not at Cults.
“It concerns me that a majority of people think collective punishment is an acceptable way of punishing anything.
“It’s not acceptable at all that the head was egged, and those who did it should be punished if they can find them.
“But for over 100 students – the entire final year – to be punished because of the actions of four or five is just wrong.
“If there was a drug dealer on my street, but the police didn’t know which house, does the whole street get taken to court?
“I hope those who think collective punishment is acceptable are never wrongly accused of a crime.”
Students trying to arrange own ball
It is understood the students are now trying to arrange their own ball independently of the school.
Aberdeen City Council had confirmed the incident had been reported to the police. A spokeswoman said neither they nor Mr Barnett would be commenting on our poll.
A spokeswoman for Police Scotland said: “Police were made aware of reports of egg-throwing at Cults Academy. Officers liaised with school management, who then took their own action.”
The Cults Academy row comes just after the school was named best in the north and north-east in our school league tables.
Conversation