About Schoolies week and Safer Schoolies
Upon finishing year 12, many school leavers head to the Gold Coast to celebrate Schoolies week, with Surfers Paradise being one of the most popular destinations. Some graduates also travel to other key holiday destinations across Australia and overseas.
Schoolies celebrations often consist of parties and festivals run by different organisations.
Safer Schoolies is a Queensland Government initiative dedicated to:
- helping school leavers celebrate safely and make positive choices
- promoting responsible decision-making
- encouraging school leavers to look out for themselves and their mates
- providing a strong safety framework, ensuring they can enjoy this milestone while staying protected.
We want to ensure a safe and successful Schoolies week for all involved, including:
- school leavers
- residents
- businesses
- the wider community.
The Safer Schoolies team do this by:
- handing out cups of water
- supplying an Emergency Treatment Centre
- conducting street patrols
- providing a walk-home service
This requires the team to work with a wide array of people, including:
- Queensland Government agencies
- City of Gold Coast
- community partners
- volunteers.
The Schoolies Hub is a diversionary activity located in Surfers Paradise; it's a Schoolies-only entertainment area and free for any legitimate year 12 school leaver.
Whether you come for 1 night or all 7, all you need is a Safer Schoolies wristband. (The official wristband to enter the Safer Schoolies Hub is only available via this website. Other wristbands or accommodation bookings will not give you entry to the Schoolies Hub.)
Safer Schoolies wristband registrations will open in August for Schoolies week 2025, which runs 22–28 November 2025.
The Safer Schoolies team also offer free education sessions in schools across Queensland and online to promote safety messages for students in year 12 during Schoolies week and beyond.
To stay up-to-date with the latest Schoolies information and receive tips on getting through year 12, follow our Instagram and Facebook pages.
The last day of school. A moment in time these teens won't easily forget.
Schoolies has become a rite of passage for tens of thousands of young Australians, with many planning their end of year celebrations years in advance. It's typically a time when school leavers head off to various locations for a well-deserved break to mark this major milestone in their lives.
Since the 1970s, the Gold Coast has been a favourite destination for many Queenslanders.
On average, 20,000 school leavers descend on Surfers Paradise annually. The majority are under the age of 18 and unable to enter licensed venues. These two factors, combined with the first time many have been away from home, a period of great change and uncertainty, mix in alcohol, drugs and peer group pressure, and you've got a higher chance of risk-taking behaviour.
Whilst the majority of the teens are well behaved with only a small percentage making poor choices, the Queensland Government, in partnership with the City of Gold Coast, activates a safety response to ensure the Gold Coast community and schoolies are kept safe.
Safety measures and services include: presentation of the Safer Schoolies Education Program to year 12s throughout the year, Safer Schoolies wristbanding for genuine year 12 school leavers only, Schoolies Hub, a dedicated toolie, drug and alcohol-free area for genuine schoolies to enjoy safely with their friends, support on the ground including increased police and emergency services presence, compliance officers checking IDs and licensed venues, - a suite of health and support services and an army of wonderful volunteers offering a safe walk home, cups of water or a friendly face to talk to.
Whilst young, underage people continue to coverage on the Gold Coast to celebrate the end of their schooling, the Queensland Government will continue to respond by providing safety measures and services to help keep young people and the local community safe. Schoolies often say the thing they most enjoy about their Schoolies experience is the time spent with friends.
The Safer Schoolies team encourage all schoolies to value their friendships and make their end-of-year celebrations safe, fun, and memorable for all the right reasons.
The history of Schoolies week
- School leavers have been gathering on the Gold Coast to celebrate the end of school since the late 1970s.
- Over the next few years, the tradition of ‘Schoolies’ emerged, as Surfers Paradise became the chosen destination for a growing number of school leavers.
- By the 1980s, many community groups had developed ways of providing support for school leavers.
- In the late 1990s, the safety response model began to form, including diversionary activities and support services.
- In 2003, a plan was officially endorsed by the Queensland Government to make Gold Coast Schoolies safer for both the local community and school leavers attending.
- Today, Gold Coast Schoolies Week is attended by thousands of year 12 school leavers.
The Queensland Government does not promote Schoolies week.
The Safer Schoolies Response offers a safe area for school leavers during Schoolies week on the Gold Coast, including:
- the coordination of support services
- providing information and resources to school leavers and their parents
- providing education sessions to year 12 students.