The Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Bill was not long ago approved by the South African Parliament which is now just waiting to generally be signed into law via the President.

The Act will introduce major changes to your South African Schools Act as well as the Employment of Educators Act to better align with modern day instructional requirements and issues.

Vital provisions from the BELA Bill incorporate:

Compulsory Grade R: The Bill can make it required for youngsters to start school at Grade R, with formal penalties for parents who fail to enroll their young children​​.

Corporal Punishment: The Bill reinforces the ban on corporal punishment and prohibits other sorts of punishment that will 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 click here control over a learner’s decision regarding abortion. It does, however, address the management of learner pregnancies in schools​.