The Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Bill was just lately accredited from the South African Parliament which is now just ready to become signed into legislation because of the President.
The Act will introduce substantial changes for the South African Schools Act as well as Employment of Educators Act to better align with up to date instructional requires and challenges.
Key provisions from the BELA Bill include things like:
Compulsory Grade R: The Bill makes it mandatory for youngsters to start out school at Grade R, with official penalties for parents who fail to enroll their kids.
Corporal Punishment: The Bill reinforces the ban on corporal punishment and prohibits other types of punishment that 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 read more decision regarding abortion. It does, however, address the management of learner pregnancies in schools.