[The Guardian] The Dance: the South Africans who finish high school against all odds

The Dance: the South Africans who finish high school against all odds

Many South African youths fail to graduate from high school. For the few who do, the ‘Matric’ celebrations are prodigious

In the Cape Flats, the townships and countryside in and around Cape Town where deprivation is high, many students drop out of high school due to pregnancy, substance abuse, being recruited by gangs or to support their families. School fees are a steep price to pay in an area where most families struggle to put food on the table.

Matric dances are held to celebrate those who graduate (matriculate). For months beforehand, families who live in poverty-stricken areas save to buy extravagant ballgowns and tuxedos, and to hire limousines for the big night. If a family is lucky enough to have a student graduate from high school, no effort is spared to give them the night of their dreams. For many, this is the first family member to graduate.

Continue reading...
Source: The Dance: the South Africans who finish high school against all odds

Feeds culled from https://www.theguardian.com/uk/rss