Student strike for marks: human right or misdirected request

In a previous article, Victorine Ntambo analysed how mothers, sisters, heroines, mentors, siblings and friends in the teaching and nursing profession teach and strike. Now, she reviews how school children boycotted preliminary examinations shortly after the public service strike in South Africa. Did they learn from the striking women?

Everyone is aware that the public servants’ strike in the country went on for three weeks and then was suspended for 21 days. The effects, that this strike might have, have been down-played. From every indication, it has had a crippling effect on the public and the citizens of South Africa. The most immediate victims were patients and school children. Without any major changes to the timetable, the matric class of 2010 has to sit for their preliminary exams just after the strike.

During and even after the public servants’ strike, the Department of Basic Education devised options that will help students to recover school time lost, as far back as time lost during the FIFA World Cup held in June 2010. Apart from options that encouraged the formation of study groups, increased classroom times, use of weekends and the September holidays for intense studies, the Department also called on parents, schools, teachers, the private sector, volunteers and non-governmental organizations to help the learners. As the strike loomed, most privileged students turned to the radio, TV and even mobile phones to close the gaps in their subjects, especially in mathematics.

Many volunteers and retired teachers turned up in their numbers and are still helping the students till date. However, all these efforts meant nothing to the Congress of South African Students (COSAS) who decided to boycott and disrupt classes in demand of ‘pass one, pass all’ or a free 25 percent that contributes to the final year examination. Because their demand was rejected by the Minister of Basic Education, they decided to disrupt the preliminary exams. The strike and call on fellow matriculants to boycott examinations was because, according to COSAS, the learners are ill-prepared for the exams after a three-week gap in schooling brought about by the public service strike.

The strike and demonstrations were so severe that students across the country were arrested and some wounded. At least one student was killed. In writing this article, I am prompted with questions such as: Is a student strike justified? Is it really worth it to go out and demonstrate for marks that are not earned? I think the Minister of Basic Education, Angela Motshekga, was right when she announced in both radio and television interviews that marks cannot be allocated for free.

What is striking about the occurrence and timing of this students’ strike – in a country that just came out of a massive public servant strike – is that we seem to groom a generation that would lay claims to things they never worked for. If these students have the audacity to go out and ask for marks, what else do we think they will ask for once they are no longer students? You could now be saying that South Africa is a free country and that students too have their rights. Your position does not stand to be disputed.

But what has happened to our entire system? Are we likely to see any motivation among students for their studies? Will more and more people stand up and earn what they desire? How does the future look like? We need to be more accountable as individuals before we look up to other groups and government for accountability.

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