The Basic Education Laws Amendment (Bela) Bill proposes changes to the South African Schools Act which seeks to hand control to the Education Department in determining a school’s language policy and curriculums, compulsory schooling from Grade R, and the prohibition of corporal punishment and initiation practices.
The bill was introduced in Parliament on January 10 but has received criticism with some arguing that it will give Education Minister Angie Motshekga extraordinary powers to override school governing bodies.
Many claimed it would attack mother-tongue teaching and learning with others saying they were not in favour of the ANC taking over schools and school language policy.
The Department of Basic Education’s communications head, Elijah Mhlanga, provided a deep explainer to the introduction of the Bela Bill on his YouTube channel, “Elijah Unpacks”.
Mhlanga explained that the bill was now in the hands of the Basic Education Committee in Parliament after the Department of Basic Education completed its own process, including the public participation process.
“Around 2016, the department started reviewing the laws that govern the basic education sector, which include the SA Schools Act and the Employment of the Educators Act," he said.
Mhlanga said he believed the bill was not about taking away the powers of a school governing body (SGB).
He added that one of the other components that had attracted a lot of public attention was the issue of the sale of alcohol in schools for fundraising activities.
The Democratic Alliance threatened to protest against the Bela Bill, which it claimed was attacking mother tongue education.
The DA voiced concerns over changes outside the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) offices, demonstrating with placards on which “Wonke Amalimi Abalulekile” was written, meaning all languages are important.
Mhlanga said in 2017, a version of the Bela Bill was released for public comment and input.
“Comments were received and many people came to the department to drop off their written comments, others ran petitions opposing certain parts of it, which is good because public participation is welcome by the way.
“Public participation is exactly about that, to get you to talk, leave your comfort zone, to get you to mobilise other people so that you come through to submit written comments,” he said.
On the “Elijah Unpacks” Bela episode, he urged people to not only post their concerns on social media but to also write comments and send them to the department so that people who are responsible for processing public comments can also read them and consider it in the process of finalising the version which has been published.
Mhlanga asked citizens to have a broader vision of what Minister Motshekga was intending to achieve with the implemented laws.
Parliament has given the public until August 15 to make comments.
You can directly send the comments to parliament on [email protected]
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