. The Committee shared the concerns of the Department and the unions that schools were closed and learners were prevented from attending classes over service delivery protests that were unrelated to education. A more serious concern was that learners in Olifantshoek had not returned to school at the time of the oversight and had missed both the June and September examinations. It was evident that there was a need to intensify dialogue on the value of education through meetings with a whole range of affected stakeholders and protesters. Politicians also needed to come together to find lasting solutions to the problems experienced. The Committee was mindful of the fact that there had been previous visits by various Ministries to deal with the challenges.