No fancy dresses, expensive suits or luxury cars, just their ordinary school uniform.

That is how pupils of Iketsetseng Secondary School in Sasolburg in the Free State attended their Matric dance at the weekend.

Speaking to TimesLIVE on Wednesday, principal Eric Sedi said he came up with the idea of having a "uniform matric dance" because he was tired of seeing the majority of his pupils not attending the function, due to a lack of funds to meet the expectations of fancy dresses and luxury cars.

"We noted with dismay that in many cases when we are holding the matric dance, only half or a quarter of the pupils attended. Others would come to see their peers arrive in flashy cars," said Sedi.

"My heart would be broken to see this because those from indigent families could not take part. I felt so bad about it," he said.

Sedi said he could see the stress that the matric dance posed on the pupils who could not afford it, saying it made it difficult for them to even focus on exams.

He decided to propose that they abolish the most stressful part of the dance.

"I wanted to return it to the old days, my days, when we had farewells not dances. So I proposed it to the matric committee and the staff and we came up with 'Project Inclusivity'," Sedi added.