The Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Bill was lately authorised with the South African Parliament and it is now just ready for being signed into legislation from the President.
The Act will introduce sizeable variations for the South African Schools Act as well as Employment of Educators Act to better align with modern instructional needs and issues.
Vital provisions from the BELA Bill include things like:
Compulsory Grade R: The Bill makes it necessary for kids website to begin school at Grade R, with formal penalties for folks who fail to enroll their youngsters.
Corporal Punishment: The Bill reinforces the ban on corporal punishment and prohibits other sorts of punishment which will 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 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.