.

Right: A newspaper front page dealing with muck-up day incidents. The news media have been accused of "beating-up" student pranks to produce sensational headlines.

Further implications

There appears to be a significant element of beat-up in the media's treatment of muck-up day activities.  As a number of school principals have  noted, the vast majority of senior secondary students conduct themselves sensibly through their end-of-year activities
That said, it is equally undeniable that there are some dangerous pranks performed by a minority of students.  How this behaviour can be prevented is a difficult problem.  In private schools, where parents have invested large amounts of money to try to secure good exam results for their children, schools would not readily be able to prevent their students sitting their final exams should they misbehave.  Parents have already threatened to sue schools where such a punishment was proposed.
In government schools there punishments that can be imposed may be greater; however, a small number of students in both private and government schools continue to behave foolishly in ways that could risk the safety of others.
Many schools now treat muck-up day student misbehaviour as a criminal activity and warn students that charges may be brought against them should they cause injuries, damage property or trespass.  Schools also arrange alternate farewell activities for their students which are of a far more positive nature than the old muck-up day pranks.
What is to be hoped is that these more positive developments become general.  Schools need to continue to take firm action against students who behave inappropriately and to provide socially acceptable forms of celebration and acknowledgement of the achievements of their senior students.
It would also be desirable if the media adopted a low-key approach to the reporting of such muck-up day pranks as do occur.  Where there is a significant breach of the law then the media has an obligation to report it.  Where the student behaviour is foolish rather than criminal, it would be desirable if it were not given media attention.  Such coverage only encourages students to behave in a way that will attract the public gaze.