The Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Bill was recently permitted through the South African Parliament and is particularly now just waiting to be signed into legislation via the President.

The Act will introduce important adjustments to your South African Schools Act and the Employment of Educators Act to better align with modern academic demands and troubles.

Critical provisions of your BELA Bill consist of:

Compulsory Grade R: The Bill causes it to be obligatory for kids to start out school at Grade R, with formal website penalties for parents who are unsuccessful to enroll their children​​.

Corporal Punishment: The Bill reinforces the ban on corporal punishment and prohibits other forms 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 in schools​.