Renewed protests in May and June in several parts of the country marked the end of a period of apparent quiet in schools, colleges and universities. Pupils had returned to schools around the country at the beginning of the 1987 academic year in January, after eighteen months of often uninterrupted boycotts, and emergency regulations had curtailed protest activity for much of the year.
On 6 May thousands of school children and university students stayed away from classes in protest at the whites-only election. Later in the month the activity shifted to the Western Cape. Discontent over shortages of textbooks and overcrowding led to protests at high schools in Guguletu and Langa. Conflict over these and other issues led the authorities to close the school in mid-June.
Students at several Cape Town teacher-training colleges boycotted classes in protest at the late payment of bursaries, which had forced many students to live on loans. Further action was fuelled by disciplinary steps against 73 teachers who refused to administer exams in the Department of Education and Culture (DEC) schools (i.e. Coloured schools) during the 1985 schools boycott, and by proposed steps against a further 560 teachers who observed the 5-6 May stay-away protesting the whites-only election. There were protests at individual Coloured schools and a city-wide, one-day stay-away at 22 DEC schools on 24 July, demanding the suspension of the disciplinary action against the teachers.
Repression of student organisation led to action at Coloured schools. At three Bonteheuwel schools there were walk-outs in support of demands for the release of Colleen WILLIAMS (18) who had by the end of May been detained for 11 months, and other detained members of the Bonteheuwel Inter-Schools Congress (BISCO).
School rallies were held to condemn the police shooting of a former BISCO member, Ashley KRIEL (20). The Spes Bona High School in Athlone was closed to prevent pupils from holding a farewell rally for Michael CARSTENS (18), a fellow-pupil who was due to begin an 18-month prison sentence on charges of public violence. Identical sentences on two other pupils, on similar charges - an unnamed 17 year-old youth and Gregory ARTHUR (21) were earlier upheld by the Supreme Court.
There were also boycotts in other parts of the country. In the Kwandebele bantustan students boycotted classes in protest at the detention of local students, teachers and school inspectors. There were boycotts at an Eastern Transvaal High School, in Grahamstown and in Kwa Mashu.
Universities and colleges were also affected by boycotts.
Even though emergency regulations give the authorities virtually unfettered powers to restrict boycotts, the government indicated in June - on the same day that the emergency regulations were renewed - that it would introduce new (and permanent) legislation to further regulate the movement of pupils, by banning entry to schools for purposes other than lessons, sport and school functions. It also proposed to extend the powers of the Minister of Education and Development Aid to suspend the activities of schools.
