Blatant inequality

THE matric dance season is about to begin and while everyone is excited to dress up and get down, a great injustice is overlooked. In the majority of schools around the province, grounds and cleaning staff are not invited to the matric dance, while other non-teaching staff (secretaries and finance coordinators) are.

Most pupils interact with the grounds and cleaning staff as often as they do with non-teaching staff. Sometimes they have friendlier relationships with them than they do with teachers.

Yet for various questionable reasons they are excluded from the most exciting celebration of the year.

After raising this issue with our school principal and deputies, we received indifferent responses, such as there was not enough space and the grounds and cleaning staff wouldn’t be able to afford tickets. There was no mention of finding a new venue in the future, and the fact that teachers were provided with free tickets was glossed over. Twenty-one years into democracy, why are we still experiencing such blatant classism?

I am sad that I won’t be able to “whip and nay-nay” with some of the people who have played an important role in my school career.

I hope in the future – especially in the private schools – to see a proactive and enthusiastic approach from school boards and pupil bodies alike towards equality in this regard. Sophie Schmidt

Rondebosch