Bela Bill Has become Passed By The National Assembly On It's Way To Becoming Legislation For Schools In South Africa

The Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Bill was recently authorised because of the South African Parliament and it is now just ready for being signed into legislation through the President.

The Act will introduce sizeable improvements for the South African Schools Act and the Employment of Educators Act to better align with up to date instructional requirements and troubles.

Key provisions in the BELA Bill involve:

Compulsory Grade R: The Bill makes it necessary for kids to get started on school at Grade R, with formal penalties for parents who fall short to enroll their kids​​.

Corporal Punishment: The Bill reinforces the ban on corporal punishment and prohibits other kinds of punishment which could 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 bela bill schools 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​.