There has been a lot of uproar over the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Bill with some saying the laws proposed are controversial. Around 56 amendments to the bill has been proposed.
Hearings on the law have concluded in all provinces. These hearings, which went over a period of four months, will then lead to a draft report and debate in the portfolio committee and after that, further amendments will be made.
What Is The BELA Bill?
The BELA bill was first drafted in 2017 and the current version came to Parliament last year. The aim is to make changes to the South African Schools Act of 1996 and the Employment of Educators Act of 1998.
Some of the new laws proposed are as follows:
- Grade R will be the new compulsory school starting age, as opposed to grade 1
- Parents who do not ensure their child or children are in school, receiving fines or jail time up to 12 months and making it a crime.
- Parents and learners will need to supply specified documentation when applying for school admission
- School Governing Bodies will be held more accountable for disclosures of financial interests – including those related to their spouses and family members. The role of SGBs will be smaller and provincial heads of education departments will have the role of making a final decision on a school's language and admissions policy.
- Prohibit educators from conducting business with the state or being a director of public or private companies conducting business with the state
- Corporal punishment and initiation/hazing practices will also be abolished
- Alcohol consumption will be allowed on school premises at after-hour events
- Homeschooling will also be impacted
The bill focuses on the administration of the education sector including governance issues.
During the hearings, the public were given access to voice their opinions and concerns about the bill. A representative from the South African Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU) said:
We are in full support of the amendment of the Bill. Change has to come into effect in the now.
A former homeschool student, however, had the opposite view and said, "I reject the BELA bill" as they feel that the amendments around homeschooling would negatively impact homeschooling learners.
Concerns have also been raised about the changes to corporal punishment laws with one parent saying, "we need to support teachers there because you cannot just put a clause there and say that corporal punishment must be abolished but there is not anything to alternate that".
Another amendment which has brought massive uproar is that involving alcohol consumption.
We are having problems now with our learners at schools using drugs and alcohol is also a drug. We cannot allow alcohol to be sold in our schools because our children are not disciplined now.
Some of the speakers at the public hearings have also highlighted that their support for the Bill was influenced by the prospect it promises to redress the imbalances that were created by the system of apartheid within the education system.
