We, the senior students at Lowanna college high school, have had the privilege of leaving school during lunch for years. The local shops, conveniently located just a few steps from our school gates, provided a source of sustenance, socialising, and a brief breath of freedom in the midst of our routine lives. Recently, this privilege we took for granted has been abruptly revoked, leaving us feeling like helpless children, too young to manage even the simplest of tasks without constant adult supervision. The local coffee shop, Danbo's, who fund our own school's cafe, will have their usual customers taken away due to most students not being able to go down the street to get something to eat or drink all because the only time they could go has been taken away. Now, Danbo's is predicted to pull their funding and student's who dream about getting their barista certificates will have to look outside the school to do so.

According to recent surveys, allowing students free time outside school during breaks can contribute to their overall well-being and independence. It is a crucial transition period, serving as a bridge from being dependent children to becoming responsible adults who can make healthy and balanced decisions about their daily lives (American Psychological Association, 2019). Removing this right when students are looking to enter university is damaging and stops students from learning how to follow a school schedule and get used to adult life.

Taking this right away doesn't just rob us of our long-standing prerogative, but also impacts our overall holistic development and sense of individuality. It's about more than just stepping out for lunch—it's about our autonomy and personal growth.

We have found out that the new principal is using an outdated and old code of conduct that goes against what the newest code of conduct states, which is if students seek to leave the school for recess or lunch, proper precautions should be put into place. https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/supervision-students/policy. If these precautions are taken away, students will seek more dangerous ways of leaving school, running across traffic, wandering into other people's land, and jumping fences. Taking away the safest way to leave school for food will put more responsibility on the teachers and principal if a student gets harmed because they had no safe way to go out. 

We urge that students, parents and teachers understand how important it is we have a safe way to leave school for lunch and to push decision-makers to reconsider this action and restore our ability to leave school during breaks. We are not just children seeking frivolous freedom but young adults learning to navigate the world outside the school walls. Please, sign this petition in support of our right to leave school during lunch and recess.