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The Democratic Alliance (DA) welcomes Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga's stance that students who boycott preliminary exams will not get free marks worth 25% of their final grade. Despite threats by the ANC-aligned Congress of South African Students (COSAS) to disrupt prelims and "make the country ungovernable," the Department of Education is correct in sticking to its exam timetable. This commitment, more than any other measure, will help normalize schooling again and give a fighting chance to our learners to succeed.

We recognize how delicate the situation is. After the prolonged World Cup holidays, many teachers went on strike for three weeks, depriving students of classroom education. Since then, students and teachers have had to play catch-up, putting in extra time to prepare for exams. Provincial education departments have tried to make extra teaching sessions available, but inevitably many students will feel that these remedial efforts were not comprehensive enough. We empathize with their frustration. But it is not constructive to disrupt exams for learners who desire to take them. Nor is the wanton destruction of school property, as has been reported in some areas. These actions waste valuable time and resources that could be spent getting back up to speed. We appeal to these unhappy students, and especially the COSAS leadership that is stoking the discontent, to apply their minds to their studies, not the disturbance of their colleagues.

Minister Motshekga has confirmed that the police will step in to secure the rights of students who want to write their exams without interference. This is as it should be. Those learners have rights that must be protected.

Ultimately, a key message that our education system must teach our learners is that actions have consequences. For teachers who went on strike despite the "no work, no pay" rule, they knew the consequences and now must face them. For students who refuse to take their preliminary exams, they too must face the consequences of their actions. When learners internalize this message, they become more responsible citizens, precisely the outcome that we want to encourage.