Parents warned about ‘pens down parties’

THE Department of Basic Education, the Parents Association and the Congress of SA Students (Cosas) have slammed pens down parties, with Cosas saying parents should not allow their children to go to these parties.

Pens down parties are celebrated by pupils after writing their final matric exams. Basic Education spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga cautioned pupils about attending the parties after they had finished their matric exams.

Mhlanga said it was sad when results came out and some pupils were no longer alive to see their work. He said: “Reaching Grade 12 shows that you have travelled a long journey already in your life, and dying because you were at a party is completely unnecessary.”

He said over the past years, they had received reports of pupils dead, drowned, or beaten up while attending the parties. “We have observed a situation where every year when exams are concluded, there is a huge movement of people going to other provinces to the pens down parties,” he said.

Mhlanga added that these parties were controversial because whenever they took place, something negative was bound to happen. “It is either someone drowns and dies, or there will be someone beaten up, or there will be an accident that will take place either at the event or next to it.

“How parents allow their children to go to these parties would never make sense.” Mhlanga added that pupils should avoid such parties because they had their whole lives ahead of them.

Chairperson of the Parents Association Vee Gani said it was not a problem for pupils to want to celebrate their end of schooling, but they needed supervision. “I do not blame the department for condemning these parties because something negative always comes up,” said Gani.

Cosas secretary Khetha Mtshodi said the organisation has never supported the pens down parties. He said parents should not allow their children to attend these as they would usually be exposed to alcohol. “We do not support any of the after-parties; parents must not allow their kids to attend them because nowadays alcohol is easily accessible and there is usually substance abuse at these parties.”