By Vusuthando Percyvil Dube
On Friday, President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) policy into law. The BELA Bill, as it was originally named, amends the South African Schools Act of 1996. These reforms include making Grade R compulsory for all children and delegating responsibility for school language rules to the provincial education department.
Ramaphosa has pushed back the implementation of key parts for additional review due to political opposition, particularly from the Democratic Alliance, whose Minister of Basic Education, Siviwe Gwarube, did not attend during the signing ceremony held at the Union Buildings
According to a statement released by the SA Government News Agency, President Ramaphosa stated that this will allow the parties time to ponder on these concerns and make ideas on how to accommodate different points of view.
“In the last few days, the parties to the Government of National Unity (GNU) have expressed their wish to further engage each other on sections of the Bill that deal with issues of admission and language. In the spirit of cooperation and meaningful engagement, I have decided to delay the implementation date for clauses 4 and 5 of the Bill by three months,” the statement reads.
Critics have characterized the law as political involvement, arguing that school boards and parents should not be hindered. Speaking on VOC Sunday Live Deputy Dean for Research in the Faculty of Education Prof Rouaan Maarman believes the bill will put parental involvement squarely which is good, and they will learn and respond better in future.
“The other one I feel is important is parent being criminalized for not ensuring that children attend school although it not easy for parents sometimes to do that but it’s a parent responsibility and I think it time as South Africans to hold parents accountable for schooling of their Childrens,” said Prof Maarman.
The bill will bring changes in South Africa and allow teaching in school to compulsory commerce in Grade R until Grade 9.
“According to me, there are few clauses that are missing that I deem important; for example, it is important for our children to be in compulsory schooling from grade R then the government only made up until grade 9, and that is the problem, why not grade 12?” questioned Maarman
Photo: Central News
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