Students marching during the 1980 Western Cape school boycott Image source
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The Coloured schools' boycott began as a result of students' dissatisfaction with the South African educational and political systems. Students from about 60 Coloured high schools, teacher training facilities and the University of the Western Cape joined the protest and refused to attend classes.The boycott was joined by pupils at a number of Indian schools in Pretoria and KwaZulu-Natal. Black Consciousness groups also pledged their support. The action was widely observed by approximately 100,000 students from 70 schools over the course of three weeks.