S.A. blacks end school boycott

Press, 11 February 1981, Page 9

S.A. blacks end school boycott

NZPA-Reuter T Cape Town Black pupil leaders said yesterday that they had conditionally called off their school boycott in the Caj>e Peninsula, the centre of a 10-month protest « against racial inequality in : South Africa’s education system; The boycott, which began in the Cape Town area, last April, spread . across the country with thousands of Indian, Coloured (mixed race) and blade, pupils refusing to attend classes. Pupils in the test of the country gradually returned to school. But black pupils in the Cape Peninsula maintained the protest, saying they would not go back until the authorities met their; demands.; However, , a- meeting of pupil leaders, parents, and other organisations yesterday decided that all pupils would resume classes at once on condition that the Government met the demands within one month. Education authorities welcomed the move which

should signal the end of the sometimes violent protest. Previously the authorities had insisted they could not act on the demands until the students went back 'to school. In a statement, pupil leaders' listed < their demands which said all. pupils detained .by police in connection-' with the protest must be forbidden from entering school grounds. They also demanded a sufficient supply of text books and laboratory equipment in all schools.

At the height of the protest, last June, at least 40 people were killed in loot-, ing. Running battles between stone-throwing youths and the police became commonplace. The Government has promised to provide . equal education for all South Africa’s racial groups. A school building programme was launched recently and compulsory education has been introduced for blacks in some areas. '