Petition started by Grade 12 student to have school year scrapped reaches 160 000 signatures

With the Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga set to announce to the nation what the final date for the reopening of schools in light of the coronavirus pandemic that the country is facing, a petition started by a grade 12 student is gaining support already having 160 000 signatures.

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In the petition, which has also had the support of celeb parents like Khanyi Mbau and Uyanda Mbuli, the student Michael Warren says, “As we all know our society is in the grips of an epidemic that the world was not prepared for and now students are expected to go to school which is an already stressful place.Our society is saturated with the possibility of illness and death, students can’t be expected to be put in an environment that risks their health or lives furthermore students are going to be cramming copious amounts of work which will affect student’s grades and mental health.”

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Warren pleads for the 2020 school year to be canceled so that the country can deal with the coronavirus pandemic and relieve the added stress that it has caused to students and teachers.

“Please as a grade 12 student this is an especially hard time for me personally I can’t cope with school, family being ill and lack of funds for food and I know I’m not alone so I’m begging for this as a solution as school is my biggest stressor right now,” adds Warren.

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