The Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Bill was recently authorized via the South African Parliament and is also now just ready for being signed into legislation by the President.
The Act will introduce major improvements to the South African Schools Act along with the Employment of Educators Act to better align with present-day educational wants and issues.
Critical provisions of your BELA Bill consist of:
Compulsory Grade R: The Bill makes it mandatory for children to start school at Grade R, with official penalties for parents who are unsuccessful to enroll their young children.
Corporal Punishment: The Bill reinforces the ban on corporal punishment and prohibits other kinds 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 more info education department. This aims to ensure 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.