The success of the study tour, despite the prevailing tensions, was largely due to the mature and conciliatory manner of the chairperson of the provincial committee on education and culture, Mr S Ngidi, who accompanied the tour throughout the province. In addition to this, the parliamentary delegation assured their hosts that they did not come to the province on a fault-finding mission, but that they were eager to establish a co-operative relationship with the provincial standing committee on education to address the many challenges that constrained education in the province. This message was well accepted by the provincial committee, who agreed to pursuing such a co-operative relationship with the delegation from the Portfolio and Select Committees.