By Daanyaal Matthews
The agreement between the trade union, Solidariteit, and the Department of Basic Education, that would see the delay of Sections 4 and 5 of the BELA Act be implemented, has been heavily criticized by civil society, politicians, political parties, and trade unions—such as SADTU—that have labelled the agreement as an act of ‘war’ against the majority African populace and racist.
For Professor Jonathan Jansen, Professor of Education at the University of Stellenbosch, the contention around the BELA Act is not indicative of an issue in the wording of the act but more so political posturing. He argued that the focus on the BELA Act distracts the department from greater issues such as pit toilets, textbook availability, and resolving the financial issues that presently plague the sector.
“Make sure no kids ever die in a pit toilet; do that. Make sure that every teacher has every subject for every kid to pass their exams. Make sure you rollback the silly decision to cut/retrench teachers because you’ve run out of budget. Do those kinds of things and stop fighting over immaterial things that have no consequences for the poor and working-class children in our schools. That’s what the government should do,” added Professor Jansen.
Listen to the full interview here:
