What caused the Soweto uprising on June 16, 1976?

The Soweto uprising was a student-led protest triggered by the South African government’s 1974 directive to mandate Afrikaans as the medium of instruction for mathematics and social science in schools for Black students.12

This policy was deeply resented for several reasons:
* Educational Barrier: Students had not previously been required to learn Afrikaans, making it difficult to grasp complex subject matter in that language.1
* Lack of Resources: Many teachers lacked the proficiency to teach specialized subjects in Afrikaans.1
* Symbolism: Afrikaans was widely viewed as the language of the apartheid state and its nationalist agenda, used primarily when interacting with police and bureaucrats.1

Following failed attempts by parents and teachers to seek exemptions, students in Soweto began organizing boycotts in early 1976. On June 16, 1976, students planned a peaceful march to protest the mandate. The event escalated into violence after police confronted the demonstrators with tear gas and live ammunition, resulting in the deaths of students, including Hector Pieterson.12