Bela Bill Continues to be Approved By The National Assembly On It's Way To Becoming Legislation For Schools In South Africa

The Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Bill was just lately accepted via the South African Parliament and it is now just waiting around being signed into legislation via the President.

The Act will introduce substantial variations to the South African Schools Act and also the Employment of Educators Act to better align with modern educational needs and challenges.

Key provisions of the BELA Bill include:

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 little ones​​.

Corporal Punishment: The Bill reinforces the ban on corporal punishment and prohibits other kinds 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, the Bill does not give schools control over a learner’s decision regarding abortion. It does, however, address the management of learner pregnancies click here in schools​.