Letter from a matric pupil: What do we do now?

AS A MATRIC pupil at a very well-known, sporting, cultural, academic school, I ask the same questions as many frightened, unsure and stressed matriculants of 2016: What do we do now?

Will there be a solution to the frightening occurrences on campuses around South Africa?

I do not think that government understands the extra stress that is now placed on matrics of 2016 as, not only do we have to worry about obtaining a few distinctions in order to gain access to institutions – that may not even exist next year due to the damage caused to them, but in addition, now we have to deal with the stress of not knowing if we will even be “considered” to further our higher education next year.

Not many of us can leave the country and study abroad; not many of us wish to take a gap year and “find” ourselves.

Professor Jonathan Jansen stated that as matrics, together with our concerned parents, we have the utmost right to ask, “what happens now?”.

Yes, we do ask that, but how does any institution know what is to happen now? How do we fix this problem? Where is our president NOW?

Why is he not dealing with this NOW?

Just as the Road to Democracy took place in 1990, we may have to prepare for a Road #FeesMustFall.

All I ask is for government, parents and students to find a solution TOGETHER.

As much as we cried for our country and our people during apartheid, so do we cry now as we face a future which is uncertain and seemingly violent and destructive. Have we not learnt anything from our horrific past? — Kayla Lottering, Grade 12, Clarendon High School For Girls to