The Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Bill was lately permitted because of the South African Parliament and is also now just waiting to generally be signed into law by the President.
The Act will introduce significant modifications into the South African Schools Act plus the Employment of Educators Act to better align with modern instructional needs and troubles.
Key provisions in the BELA Bill involve:
Compulsory Grade R: The Bill makes it mandatory for kids to begin school at Grade R, with official penalties for folks who fall short to enroll their little ones.
Corporal Punishment: The Bill reinforces the ban on corporal punishment and prohibits other varieties of punishment that may 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, here 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.