THREE LEAVING Cert students at a well-known fee-paying school in Dublin have been told that they are expelled after a dance music event at the school.
The three students of High School, Rathgar are due to sit their Leaving Cert in two weeks’ time – but they have told by the school authorities that they must now find an alternative exam centre.
Last night, the school authorities sent a text to sixth-year parents informing them the planned graduation had been cancelled.
The school or the principal could not be contacted for comment last night.
Parents received a text from the principal to say that the sixth-form lessons had concluded. Parents were very annoyed last night at the upset caused to the students so close to their exams.
“In view of the serious and repeated breaches of the privacy policy . . . sixth form lessons have been concluded today and there will be no end-of-term celebrations,” the text read.
The message said pupils could only return to school before the exams “by appointment”. There were only 2½ days of classes remaining for the students.
There were suggestions that there had been some “fun slagging” of teachers on Facebook but it was not particularly vicious. A parent said the ending of sixth year was due to the dance event but social networking was being used as the reason.
The students are alleged to have been involved in a dance music event, which took place in a common room reserved for sixth years at the school.
The event was believed to have lasted an hour. During it, the room in question was padlocked. When the school authorities intervened, there were what one source calls some “exchanges” between senior figures in the school and some students. It appears the school authorities took exception to remarks made by students towards one teacher.
One parent said that there was no drink or drugs during the event and other students were allowed to leave through the window.
The parents of the three students have already lodged an appeal against the apparent expulsions. The appeal is being taken under Section 29 of the Education Act.
High School is one of the leading fee-paying schools in the State. It features strongly in the annual Irish Times school league tables, which track progression of Leaving Cert students to third level.
Education sources expressed surprise that the students in question had been informed of their expulsion.
Generally, students are suspended for 20 days before their expulsion is formally ratified by a school board of management.
This was the case earlier this week when the board of management at the Oatlands College in Stillorgan, south Dublin, moved to expel four students after they had served a 20-day suspension. The four had been accused of posting abusive remarks on Facebook.
