THE South African Students Congress (Sasco) in Limpopo said yesterday it wanted the internal examinations written so far at both education and training colleges and high schools nullified.
The decision comes in the wake of allegations that teachers and lecturers at FET colleges and high schools had left their institutions to attend the ANC's national general council in Durban.
Sasco provincial secretary Mabuse Mpe said the majority of pupils and students were left high and dry because teachers and lecturers had gone to the ANC conference.
Mpe said ANC members constituted the majority of the teaching staff. He alleged that this made it difficult for them to choose between the party and their work.
"This has affected more than 10000 students," Mpe said. "In the light of this we have joined forces with Cosas to boycott the preliminary exams. We will continue with lectures in our colleges in a bid to recover the time lost during the 2010 World Cup and public workers' strike."
Cosas provincial secretary Sammy Makhubele echoed Mpe's sentiments.
He said though preliminary exams were in process yesterday, the majority of teachers and school managers had taken time off to attend the ANC conference.
Makhubele urged parents to help their children with their studies. He also urged pupils to form study groups and tackle previous question papers if they want to pass their year-end exams.
More than 20 schools could not sit for their preliminary exams on Monday and Tuesday last week after Cosas and Department of Education could not find each other.
Cosas demanded that the exams be boycotted, that the pupils continue with learning and that they be given a 25percent free pass mark for each pupil because "they were not ready for the exams".
But the Department of Education would not agree to Cosas' demands. This resulted in the disruption of classes. More than 80 pupils were arrested for public violence and malicious damage to property after they went on the rampage last week.
Education Department spokesperson Pat Kgomo said at the time of going to print yesterday that exams were in full swing and that no disruptions had been reported.
Sasco wants prelim exams to be nullified
THE South African Students Congress (Sasco) in Limpopo said yesterday it wanted the internal examinations written so far at both education and training colleges and high schools nullified.
The decision comes in the wake of allegations that teachers and lecturers at FET colleges and high schools had left their institutions to attend the ANC's national general council in Durban.
Sasco provincial secretary Mabuse Mpe said the majority of pupils and students were left high and dry because teachers and lecturers had gone to the ANC conference.
Mpe said ANC members constituted the majority of the teaching staff. He alleged that this made it difficult for them to choose between the party and their work.
"This has affected more than 10000 students," Mpe said. "In the light of this we have joined forces with Cosas to boycott the preliminary exams. We will continue with lectures in our colleges in a bid to recover the time lost during the 2010 World Cup and public workers' strike."
Cosas provincial secretary Sammy Makhubele echoed Mpe's sentiments.
He said though preliminary exams were in process yesterday, the majority of teachers and school managers had taken time off to attend the ANC conference.
Makhubele urged parents to help their children with their studies. He also urged pupils to form study groups and tackle previous question papers if they want to pass their year-end exams.
More than 20 schools could not sit for their preliminary exams on Monday and Tuesday last week after Cosas and Department of Education could not find each other.
Cosas demanded that the exams be boycotted, that the pupils continue with learning and that they be given a 25percent free pass mark for each pupil because "they were not ready for the exams".
But the Department of Education would not agree to Cosas' demands. This resulted in the disruption of classes. More than 80 pupils were arrested for public violence and malicious damage to property after they went on the rampage last week.
Education Department spokesperson Pat Kgomo said at the time of going to print yesterday that exams were in full swing and that no disruptions had been reported.
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