When did "school formals"

become a "thing"? 

There was nothing like that when I was at school. Out in rural areas the oldest boys would often leave school as soon as their last exam was over. They would be wanted back on the farm to help with the harvest or some other urgent work. Many of them still do it. The only boys left would be those from the "roving population" - the sons of the teachers, the bank manager, the policeman and so on.  The girls might stay a bit longer. The last week of the school year was generally not one in which a lot of schoolwork got done. I spent my last year in a rural school doing a stock take of the school library, ensuring that everything was returned and much more. It was a job which needed to be done. I had a helper but it was my responsibility. 

If anyone had suggested we have a "school formal" with the girls dressed in evening gowns and the boys in suits we would have laughed. We had "school socials" where there was some dancing. At one school it was only "square dancing" because the Seventh Day Adventists objected to ballroom dancing. Everywhere else it was ball room dancing. If that sounds strange it was considered the place where you managed to learn the basics before heading off to the Saturday night "footy dances". Those venerable occasions consisted of "Mrs B...." playing the piano and "T..." on the drums. Occasionally "P...." might play a piano accordion. People danced waltzes, the Military Twostep and the Gay Gordons.  It was considered "good fun" and a bit of exercise.

What people did not do was dress in ball gowns. I have never owned anything remotely resembling a ball gown. I went to school socials in a cotton dress in summer and a woollen skirt in winter...and so did every other girl. There was the occasional ball and then the debutantes would wear their "deb dresses" but the rest of us did not wear anything more fancy than we wore to church on Sundays.

Now it seems that girls need evening dresses. They visit a hair dresser and a nail salon. Boys need suits and bowties. They go to the even in a "limo".  This can happen even in areas where money is tight. It's a big event.  Why? 

I mention this because one school here has announced that such events will no longer be part of the school year for them. I imagine there were many parents who breathed a sigh of relief when that announcement was made.  It really is not the "rite of passage" it has been made out to be. I was convinced of that when there was a complaint from someone who hires out the gowns some of the girls wear. She was saying that if other schools followed the first one then she would go out of business and that hairdressers would lose money.  If ever there was an admission that these things have been developed in order to make money then surely that is one? 

I see absolutely nothing wrong with telling the students to organise an event within a budget. It might just be possible to do something for far less but participate more and have much more fun. After all most city kids don't need to go out and drive a combine harvester when their last exam is over.