The Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Bill was not long ago accepted with the South African Parliament which is now just ready being signed into legislation with the President.

The Act will introduce considerable adjustments on the South African Schools Act along with the Employment of Educators Act to better align with up to date educational needs and issues.

Crucial provisions in the BELA Bill consist of:

Compulsory Grade R: The Bill can make it mandatory for children to start out 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 more info types 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 read more learner pregnancies in schools​.