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Aust'n state cancels all student-exchange trips to France citing safety concerns

Xinhua, November 27, 2015 Adjust font size:

An Australian state government has cancelled all of its state-school exchange programs with France, following this month's deadly terror attacks in Paris.

All public, state-run schools from around Victoria were given the order by the state's education department on Friday.

The decision will affect pupils from several leading schools, including Melbourne High School, MacRobertson Girls' High School, McKinnon Secondary College, Bendigo Senior Secondary College and Broadford Secondary College.

Many of these students were due to leave Australia this weekend to begin their Christmas period on exchange with sister schools in France.

The state government admitted it still had safety concerns for Australians travelling to France after Islamic State-backed terrorists killed 130 people in a series of calculated attacks in Paris on Nov. 13.

"It has been determined that this is the most appropriate decision to be made at this time after considering the tragic recent events," a spokesperson for the department told Fairfax Media on Friday.

"The safety of our students and staff is the department's number one priority, and as a result of these events all government school overseas excursions to France have been cancelled while there is a state of emergency."

Parents were left fuming at the government's last-minute intervention. One anonymous parent labelled it a massive "overreaction" and said they would pursue a full reimbursement for the money they had outlaid for the trip.

The parent also criticized the decision for being "unfair" as the state government did not discontinue pre-existing arrangements for private school students.

However, Dale Pearce, the principal of Bendigo Senior Secondary College who had 14 students leaving for stints in France and Germany this weekend, backed the government's call.

"I think it's a sensible decision, it's quite understandable that if you're a parent or staff at the school. I think there is reason to be cautious." Endit