Experts in the education sector are calling on President Cyril Ramaphosa to rework the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Bill, Cape {town} Etc reports.
Experts in the education sector are calling on President Cyril Ramaphosa to rework the Basic Education Laws Amendment Bill,Dr Corrin Varady, education analyst and CEO of IDEA Digital Education says the Bill could be a game changer but only if it is ‘carefully crafted and implemented’. ‘ should be revisited to address concerns raised during extensive public consultations and committee hearings’, he adds.
The Bill’s 56 provisions range from the inclusion of Grade R as compulsory schooling, to learner attendance, a Code of Conduct for learners, regulating homeschooling, eliminating corporal punishment and initiations, increasing regulation on school governing bodies , language and admission policies and criminalising disruptions to schools.
‘The Department of Basic Education, in particular, has a strong track record of developing regulations that often have minimal impact on desired outcomes.’ ‘Passing the Bill is a superficial achievement compared to the monumental task of transforming our education system.’ Furthermore, Ndlebe told Parliament that the BELA Bill aims to revise the admission and language policies of schools and transfer decision-making authority from SGBs to the Head of the Department .
The Bill enables the HOD to intervene in the development of language and admission policy based on area demographics. ‘It cannot be correct that SGBs are given unlimited and unchecked powers and have the final say in a school matter, which is a public school,’ Ndlebe added.Dr Jaco Deacon, CEO of the Federation of Governing Bodies of South African Schools has slammed Ndlebe’s statement, stating that this is an ‘overreach by the state’.
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