The Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Bill was lately accepted because of the South African Parliament which is now just waiting around being signed into law through the President.
The Act will introduce substantial variations into the South African Schools Act as well as Employment of Educators Act to better align with modern day academic requirements and worries.
Critical provisions in the BELA Bill include:
Compulsory Grade R: The Bill causes it to be mandatory for kids to start school at Grade R, with official penalties for folks who fail to enroll their small children.
Corporal Punishment: The Bela Bill reinforces the ban on corporal punishment and prohibits other types of punishment which will more info belittle learners.
Language Policy: School governing bodies (SGBs) will continue to determine the language policy more info 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 check here not give schools control over a learner’s decision regarding abortion. It does, however, address the management of learner pregnancies in schools.