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khutsong kids dump their exams

BURNT OUT: Badirile High School teachers survey the damage. Pic. Peter Mogaki. 11/06/08. © Sowetan.
BURNT OUT: Badirile High School teachers survey the damage. Pic. Peter Mogaki. 11/06/08. © Sowetan.

Tebogo Monama and |Getrude Makhafola

Tebogo Monama and |Getrude Makhafola

Mid-year examinations in Khutsong schools in Carltonville have collapsed.

Students have already missed three days of writing and were milling around the streets yesterday.

Others were seen helping pensioners with groceries since it was payday for the aged.

"The exams have collapsed," education spokesman Charles Raseala said. "Pupils who claim to be leaders met and decided to show solidarity with students from Badirile.

"The schools are not closed. Teachers are there and exam papers are ready. Parents and pupil leaders must just encourage their children to go back to school."

But classrooms at Badirile, Relebogile and Tswasongu high schools were empty.

When Sowetan visited the area yesterday teachers at Tswasongu were gathered in the staff room, sorting out question papers. Nobody, including the principal, would talk to us.

Three schoolgirls from Badirile said they were instructed by Cosas leaders to stop going to school.

"Only a handful of people who do not want education are forcing us to boycott classes," a 20-year-old Grade 11 student said. "We should be busy with exams now."

The girls refused to identify themselves for fear of intimidation.

The class boycotts, which began at Badirile a week ago, intensified when students burnt a classroom and storeroom on Monday. On Tuesday another classroom was set alight at Tswasongu.

The disruptions were a reaction to the demotion by North West education department of Badirile students who had promoted themselves to higher grades.

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