Ramaphosa made the call when he addressed the third Basic Education Sector lekgotla, which is under way at the Birchwood Hotel in Boksburg, just outside Johannesburg.
The lekgotla (gathering) is a platform for researchers and experts to present their findings on pertinent education issues affecting the country.
“We must stand firm against school governing bodies that deny children access to schools on the basis of their linguistic backgrounds.
“We need to mobilise communities, civic and non-governmental organisations to prevent the vandalism of schools as part of service delivery protests.
“We cannot allow our children to be denied their rights to education because we, as adults, have certain grievances to raise with another,” he said.
This may have been an apparent reference to an incident in a North West Province school where four black children, in a mainly Afrikaans-speaking school, were forced from a table away from their white counterparts.
A photograph of the arrangement went viral on WhatsApp, leading to protests at the school and the suspension of the teacher who took the image in her class.
She is fighting the suspension, claiming that she is not a racist and has never been one.
This year’s gathering is focusing on equipping pupils with knowledge and skills for a changing world and will ensure that South Africans are prepared to participate in and contribute to the fourth industrial revolution (ICT).