The Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Bill was lately accredited from the South African Parliament and is particularly now just waiting to get signed into legislation with the President.
The Act will introduce significant changes on the South African Schools Act and the Employment of Educators Act to better align with modern day instructional requires and difficulties.
Essential provisions from the BELA Bill involve:
Compulsory Grade R: The Bill can make it obligatory for children to get started on school at Grade R, with official penalties for parents who are unsuccessful to enroll their youngsters.
Corporal Punishment: The Bill reinforces the ban on corporal punishment and prohibits other types 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 more info learner’s decision regarding abortion. It does, however, address the management of learner pregnancies in schools.