Yesterday, a dramatic speech by Ravenswood School For Girls‘ outgoing captain Sarah Haynes did the rounds of the internet, with the 18-year-old delivering a harsh assessment of the school and its “image problem.”
Amongst other things, Haynes complained that her previous speeches had been censored by Ravenswood, and said: “if a school can’t admit it’s not perfect, how can they expect a group of extraordinary adolescent girls to realise that perfection is unattainable?”
She added:
“At a time when my family and I needed Ravo the most, it let us down. I know that there have been rumours and gossip about my sister leaving the school and I’d rather not add fuel to the fire but would prefer to say that people who I trusted and respected made an unjustified, cruel and incorrect decision.”
Ravenswood have since responded to the speech – because you’d kind of have to – but their comeback is fairly dry by comparison.
The chair of the school council, Mark Webb, wrote a letter to parents, lamenting the “unfortunate” media attention that was paid to it, and saying that the content of the speech was, in part, related to an ongoing legal dispute.
He said:
“As this relates to a matter before the courts, it is not possible for us to comment on the specifics other than to say this relates to a disagreement about disciplinary action taken against a number of students following an incident of alleged bullying.”
Fairfax claim that the victim of the alleged bullying was a year eight student at Ravenswood, but not much else is known.
ICYMI, you can watch the speech here:
Story: Fairfax
Photo: Daily Mail.
