The Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Act is set to be a game-changer for South Africa’s education system. This new law, which has been in the works for a while, aims to amend several sections of the South African Schools Act and the Employment of Educators Act. It’s designed to bring about significant changes to school administration, governance, and access to education. For parents, teachers, and learners, the BELA Act will change how schools are run and how education is delivered.
One of the most significant changes is making Grade R compulsory. The BELA Act requires all children to be enrolled in school from Grade R, effectively lowering the school starting age from 7 to 6 years old. The goal of this change is to strengthen foundational literacy and numeracy skills early on. This will give learners a stronger start to their education journey, as many independent and private schools already have this in place.
The BELA Act also gives the head of the provincial education department the power to decide on a public school’s admission and language policies. This is a very controversial part of the bill. It means that even if a school’s governing body (SGB) has a specific language policy, the education department can force the school to adopt an additional language if the community’s demographics have changed. While some fear this could lead to the demise of Afrikaans-medium schools, the government says it aims to ensure all learners can access education in their home language, while protecting the right to learn in other languages.
Another key provision of the BELA Act is a more lenient stance on documentation. The Act says that schools cannot refuse to admit a learner because they don’t have an ID document or a birth certificate. This is a huge win for children of foreign parents and undocumented citizens who have been denied access to education for years. This change aligns with the country’s Constitution, which states that every child has the right to basic education.
The BELA Act also has a more serious stance on parents who do not send their children to school. It makes it a criminal offense for parents to stop a child between the ages of 6 and 15 from attending school without a valid reason. The punishment for this offense can be a fine or up to 12 months in prison. This provision is meant to combat truancy and ensure that all children have a right to an education.
The Act also makes changes to the regulation of homeschooling. Parents who choose to homeschool their children will have to register with the provincial education department and comply with certain regulations. This is meant to ensure that children who are being homeschooled receive a quality education that is in line with the national curriculum.
The BELA Act is a major step towards reforming South Africa’s education system. It’s a piece of legislation that is both praised for its progressive ideas and criticized for its potential to overreach. While the debate continues, the BELA Act is a powerful reminder that the education system is constantly evolving, and that we must all be a part of the conversation.