MPs will travel to probe school boycotts

Parliament's portfolio committee on basic education will this week travel to Northern Cape and Eastern Cape, where thousands of children could not attend school for months because of service delivery protests.

Nomalungelo Gina, chairman of the committee, announced yesterday that the MPs would go on a fact-finding visit to John Taolo Gaetsewe, in Northern Cape, and Sterkspruit, in Eastern Cape, where about 17000 pupils have been kept out of school by protesters.

"The committee understands the issues the communities are raising but realising them should not be at the expense of our children's education," said Gina.

About 54 schools in the areas were closed.

Last month the DA laid charges against protesters who had stopped children from going to school.