The principal of a top $50,000-a-year Sydney girls school has deleted photographs of her teenage students performing a rowdy rap routine in afro wigs and chunky gold jewellery after they sparked a furious backlash.
Wenona principal Briony Scott posted pictures on her own Instagram account of the three schoolgirls performing at the North Sydney school’s end of term ‘muck up’ day.
But the posts quickly triggered criticism.
Dr Scott deleted the pictures immediately after she was made aware of the row and told Daily Mail that was done to stop any ‘misinterpretation’.
‘It is common practice for students, like students all over the country, to engage in self-tanning for their end-of-year 12 formals and celebrations,’ she said.
‘No additional makeup or colouring was applied beyond what a student would expect to wear to a typical formal.
‘I have taken down this photo to stop any further misinterpretation.’
The two teenage girls in the afro wigs wore matching burgundy silk-like pyjamas, while they and a third girl sported fake bling, including heavy gold chains and oversized dollar symbol pendants, similar to those worn by black rap stars.
The two girls could be seen walking through the corridors of the elite girls’ school in in high spirits as they participated in muck-up day to celebrate the end of term.
They also took to a stage to perform their rap duet with oversized sunglasses perched in their afro wigs over their long blonde hair.
A person familiar with the school said they were ‘absolutely appalled’ at what had happened.
‘Wenona, a private girls school so full of privilege that after all the scandals of private school muck-up days decided to participate in this,’ the source said.
‘They then proceeded to post this on the principal’s Instagram account.
‘The students photographed were in heinously dark fake tan, Afro wigs and decked out in chains and stereotypical black ‘rapper’ jewellery.
‘This is absolutely unacceptable.’
University of Melbourne education lecturer and researcher Jessica Gannaway said the act could be seen to portray stereotypes which always had the potential to be hurtful.
‘When we examine incidents like this, a more important question to me is what impact it has on communities that have historically had tropes and stereotypes like this directed towards them,’ Dr Gannaway said.
‘Whether or not the intention was playful antics, behaviour like this can still be incredibly hurtful, and points to a need for students to learn about the history of discrimination.’
Wenona, which was set up in 1886, costs up $50,000 a year to enrol a girl into Year 12 and tacks on an extra $37,000 for those boarding at the school.
Just to enrol a girl at the school requires two payments of fees that come to $4,400.
Wenona’s website said the school aims to ‘deliver world class, contemporary, relevant education for girls, with a culture based on positive, respectful relationships, a focus on leadership and service’.