The Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Bill was not long ago accredited by the South African Parliament and it is now just waiting around to generally be signed into law from the President.
The Act will introduce important improvements towards the South African Schools Act and also the Employment of Educators Act to better align with up to date academic demands and issues.
Vital provisions of the BELA Bill consist of:
Compulsory Grade R: The Bill causes it to be obligatory for kids to get started on school at Grade R, with official penalties for folks who fail to enroll their young children.
Corporal Punishment: The Bill reinforces the bela bill schools ban on corporal punishment and prohibits other kinds 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.