Fewer athletes at annual inter high schools athletics

This year, for the first time in 37 years, the rules of the Vereeniging Inter High Schools Athletics Meeting (Gauteng, South Africa) has changed, denying almost 400 athletes the opportunity to participate.
This year only one athlete per school will be allowed to compete in events such as the 100m, 200m, 400m and hurdles events. In past years two athletes per school per event could compete.
This new rule cam into effect as four of the seven participating schools outvoted the other three opposing schools. The three schools against the new rule are: Vereeniging Technical High School, Volkskool Heidelberg and the Vereeniging High School.
The four schools that brought about the change are: Dr. Malan High School, General Smuts High School, Overvaal High School and Three Rivers High School.
The reason for the change is apparently the fact that the meeting , which usually starts around 08:00 and ends just after 22:00, finishes way too late for some people.
Apparently this causes a safety and transport problem for some students. But these reasons just don't seem so worthy, if you take into account that this is one ONE meeting! Only ONE day you have to make other arrangement for transport.
Does this justify other talented athletes to be denied a chance to participate only because some students don't want to be there that late. The go home if you don't want to be there. Those that want to be there will make a plan on that ONE day!
South Africa competes at the Olympic Games and every time a South African secures a medal, we as fellow South Africans are very proud. But to bring back medals, athletes have to start young, train hard and be very disciplined.
How can we as a nation expect to perform on the same level as the rest of the world if we can't even get rid of little problems on ground level - our schools. School is after all the place were most young talent are identified.
This new rule at the Vereeniging Inter High Athletics seems to take away, rather than ad to this meeting ... and this meeting is considered a highlight on the local schools athletics calendar.
Just maybe this all boils down to the fact that the second best athlete of some schools are better than the best athlete of other schools. Makes you think what's really behind the new rule, doesn't it?