The Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Bill was just lately approved through the South African Parliament which is now just ready to be signed into legislation via the President.
The Act will introduce significant changes towards the South African Schools Act as well as the Employment of Educators Act to better align with modern day instructional needs and issues.
Vital provisions from the BELA Bill include things like:
Compulsory Grade R: The Bill makes it necessary for kids to start out school at Grade R, with official penalties for parents who fail to enroll their young children.
Corporal Punishment: The Bill reinforces the ban on corporal punishment and prohibits other varieties of punishment that may belittle learners.
Language Policy: School governing bodies (SGBs) will continue to determine the language policy of schools, but these policies must be approved by the head of the education department. This aims to ensure here that language policies do not discriminate and are inclusive.
Learner Pregnancy: Contrary to some public misconceptions, the Bill does not give schools control over a learner’s decision regarding abortion. It does, however, address the management of learner pregnancies in schools.