After complaints from parents, the Gauteng Department of Education met with all stakeholders on 23 October and a consensus was reached that the matric dance would go ahead after the final matric examination.
Parent, Amanda Scheepers, told Midrand Reporter that the decision to halt the plans for a matric dance would have been unfair. Scheepers explained, “Parents of Grade 12 pupils were [under the impression] that the reason the dance was going to be scrapped was mainly because pupils at the school have been ill-disciplined.”
She said parents were concerned about the decision as they had spent months organising, saving money and preparing clothes to make their children’s matric dance worthwhile, as it was something every Grade 12 pupil looked forward to.
The Gauteng Department of Education spokesperson, Phumla Sekhonyane, confirmed that the dance was not going to be scrapped. “The SGB had decided against having an annual matric dance event at the school, citing inappropriate conduct by pupils as the main reason. [However] the school will now go ahead with the matric dance after a decision was taken at a stakeholders’ meeting.”
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