Minister urges parents to beware of danger in Bali plan for schoolies

Child Protection Minister Robyn McSweeney has warned parents that student plans to spend the traditional 'schoolies' week in Bali was fraught with peril.

Mrs McSweeney urged parents to consider the very serious danger of allowing their   children to travel to Bali rather than more traditional holiday destinations such as Rottnest and Dunsborough.

The Minister's warning followed reports that many students were considering cheap holidays in Bali as an option for schoolie week.

"While Bali and other cheap overseas holiday destinations may seem like an attractive option, parents and students need to take account of the very different cultural and legal systems that are in place outside of Western Australia," she said.

"We have seen examples of Australians caught in the Indonesian legal system and the results of those cases are not recommended for anyone.

"Parents need to know that other countries have very different legal systems and in some cases behaviour that would attract relatively minor penalties in WA can have very serious consequences in a place such as Bali."

Mrs McSweeney also urged parents to reflect on the difficulties in travelling overseas if their children got into medical, financial or legal difficulty.

"Schoolies week is a time when many students experiment with a variety of behaviours which can potentially have devastating consequences," the Minister said.

"It is easier for parents to get to family members in trouble and to negotiate legal and medical situations if necessary, those family members are only a few hours drive or a ferry ride away rather than an international flight away in time and distance.

"Everyone wants students to enjoy this time and to experience the rite of passage that is represented by schoolies week. But we want this to occur in a safe environment."

Minister's office: 9222 8950