Gauteng parents outraged over education departments proposed BELA bill

By: Natasha Archary

Gauteng parents have expressed with outrage their rejection of the proposed BELA bill put forward by the Department of Basic Education (DBE).

The bill which proposes a number of changes to the educational requirements of children, could land parents in prison for up to 12 months, for keeping their children from attending school.

According to parents, the proposed bill seeks to give the DBE and Education Minister all the power, stripping schools and their governing bodies from determining their language policies.

Apart from that, a number of parents want the entire clause in the BELA bill which stipulates that children who are to be homeschooled adhere to a registration process, to be scrapped.

In addition, parents say the bill doesn’t address real concerns, such as crumbling infrastructure, dropout rates, and poor-quality of education.

The bill also misses the opportunity for online learning amongst others.

Public consultations for the bill will take place in each province, with Mpumalanga next to weigh in on the DBE’s proposed bill.

Changes in the BELA bill include:

• Making grade R the new compulsory school starting age, as opposed to grade 1, as is currently the case,
• Forcing homeschooled learners to be registered for this type of schooling,
• Criminalizing parents who do not ensure their child or children are in school, with fines or jail time up to 12 months,
• Requiring parents and learners to supply specified documentation when applying,
• Holding school governing bodies more accountable for disclosures of financial interests – including those related to their spouses and family members,
• Prohibiting educators from conducting business with the state or being a director of public or private companies conducting business with the state,
• Abolishing corporal punishment and initiation/hazing practices.

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