A group of schoolgirls on a break for exams have been thrown out of a shopping mall because they were wearing school uniforms.
The three students from Marist College were eating lunch in the foodcourt at St Lukes mall in Auckland last week when they were approached by
a security guard.
"We were told people in school uniforms were not allowed to be in St Lukes between 9am and 3pm. That it was a rule of St Lukes," Gabrielle Saunders, 15, told the Herald on Sunday.
Despite telling the guard that they were on study leave, the girls were asked to go.
"It was not the security guard's fault, he was very nice. He had been given orders from someone higher than him," said Saunders, who was upset about the incident.
"It was a complete shock. Banning kids in uniforms is a bit too tight. If they have that policy, kids would probably just take a change of clothes to St Lukes."
Debra McGhie, a spokeswoman for Westfield Group, which owns St Lukes and other shopping centres, was unaware of policy that banned students in uniforms.
"It doesn't seem quite right that they were asked to leave. The Westfield Group would not refuse kids in uniforms," said McGhie.
The incident happened because of a mix-up between security guards at St Lukes, said McGhie, after an earlier group of disruptive students was asked to leave.
Westfield worked closely with schools and councils that have a zero-tolerance policy for truants said McGhie, but some had told Westfield that students were on exam breaks.
Saunders' mother Shelley approved of shopping centres monitoring school truants. "But with exam week I'd expect the students to be able to go in to buy food," she said.
The incident was the second time Saunders had been approached at the mall about wearing a uniform.
Last year, during a "teachers-only day", the cinema refused to sell movie tickets to the girl and her friends.
"Now I know it is not a rule, they can't make me leave," Saunders said.
