‘MATRIC dance’ is an emotionally charged word.
For most young ladies on the brink of adulthood, the magical word evokes images of a princess in a breathtaking ball gown, glass slippers galore on the arm of Prince Charming in his father’s white Porsche.
Others recall embarrassment over a terrible dress faux pas (especially the 80s generation) or angst over arriving dateless on the most defining social calendar event (hopefully) never to be repeated.
While teenagers have starry eyes and butterflies in the stomach, parents are grimly roaming through paper work in search of policies to buy off or access bond funds.
The wish list of young ladies can be eye bulging, because every girl wants to rock in a showstopper dress on the runway.
While affluent parents seize the day to show off their bright and beautiful offspring in dazzling designer gowns, hairdos, professional makeup, nails and limo, parents with budget constraints are chewing nails knowing the difference in price tag could be glaring on the red carpet.
Nobody wants their child to feel and look ‘average to poor’, even if it means sneaking to a loan shark.
That is why Mbuyiseni High School are hailed by many parents for stopping the nonsense.
They looked neat and presentable in their school uniforms.
Parents and pupils of the school can relax in the knowledge that the matric dance hype goes about as far as who dates who.
The girls still looked breathtaking with done up hair and makeup and had a blast with friends, which is what matric farewells should really be about.
The majority vote is arguably still in favour of going overboard for once in the name of ‘matric dance’.
But as the gap between the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’ increase, a strong opposition believes matric dances are overrated, budget breaking and a thinly disguised pride parade for the affluent.
Elaborate events are expensive and Grade 11s have to shoulder the wheel in a stressful academic year.
The answer is perhaps to be found in the values we desire to install in the generation facing the ‘wisdom era’, when the next generations realise that the world does not revolve around superficial showboating.
True wisdom is found in considering the well-being of the group, instead of being hell-bound to command the attention and adoration of others.
