The boycott of schools which has been a major part of the current action against the apartheid system had its visible beginning in March with protests about conditions in particular schools. By the end of April it was country-wide, drawing support from every section of the communities involved and forming part of a general resistance to apartheid education and the whole apartheid system. With support for the protests and demonstrations growing daily the police and the government made clear their determination to use whatever means they had to try to stop them.
Appalling school conditions in Hanover Park near Cape Town, and pressure on parents to pay "voluntary fees", led to student-parent protest meetings. Following a meeting of pupils, teachers and parents about their grievances concerning the exploitation felt by the black school children in their education, 5,000 leaflets were distributed throughout the Cape Peninsula calling for solidarity amongst themselves. The leaflets described how "Our parents work as slaves to please us and provide shelter. We are forced to work as cheap labour because our parents cannot afford to maintain us".
A few days later about 600 people met at Hanover Park to discuss action for a school boycott. Its aim would be to express dissatisfaction with conditions at most black schools and the "unfair education system". Angry pupils and parents outlined many grievances and called for the dismissal of inept principals and teachers.
Class boycotts began in Hanover Park and there were mass meetings joined by academics and politicians calling on the Government to act immediately to diffuse a potentially explosive situation. Student grievances included a lack of school books, unqualified teachers the high cost of "free" schooling and deplorable physical conditions of school.
Days later three teachers, two of whom had attended the protest meetings, were dismissed from their post at the Crystal Senior Secondary School, one of those most strongly criticised by pupils and whose principal they wanted to see resign. Pupils in Hanover Park decided to take action in protest over the dismissals. A meeting of representatives of 19 Cape Flats high schools was convened and demanded the unconditional reinstatement of the three teachers and pledged "to fight the system at all levels" and to meet again to decide on action.
In an attempt to allay boycott action, Marais Steyn, the Minister of Coloured Relations announced that the principal whose resignation the students had called for would not be at school when it re-opened after the vacation, that outstanding textbooks would be issued and repairs to the school would begin. Priority would also be given to Mount-view Senior School, one of the schools at the centre of the boycott activity. But he said that the three dismissed teachers would not be reinstated.
With the schools reopened, a meeting of representatives from schools was planned for the end of the first week of term, Saturday 12 April, to discuss the Minister's concessions. Throughout the week students were discussing at their institutions what action to take. At Hewat Teachers Training College a meeting of students was held to pledge solidarity with the school children and to mobilise "against the inferior education which keeps us in an oppressed position". Leaflets distributed at the meeting underlined the economic issues affecting working class areas like Hanover Park.
The meeting on the 12 April was attended by representatives from 20 schools, from the Hewat Teachers Training College and from the University of the Western Cape. It was decided to institute a boycott if the demands were not met within a week. Hundreds of school children began boycotting straightaway.
By the end of the week the demands had not been met and a meeting of 248 representatives of over 60 south-western Cape educational institutions decided unanimously on a one-week school boycott. This meeting was the origin of the "Committee of 61" which coordinated and represented the action in the Western Cape. The meeting called for immediate action on specific grievances and condemned the education system. A press release issued at the end of the meeting stated: "They are training people for a cheap labour market. This protest is against all racist educational systems, and is not confined to colour or creed".
The boycott began days later and quickly spread throughout the country, supported by students at many schools, training colleges and universities. As it spread and the depth of support became apparent, the government and police reacted ruthlessly.
By the end of the first week leading figures had been detained, the Minister of Coloured Relations had threatened to close all schools, and teargas and baton-attack on meetings had become frequent.
