Bela Bill Continues to be Approved By The National Assembly On It's Way To Getting to be Legislation For Schools In South Africa

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

The Act will introduce significant modifications to the South African Schools Act and the Employment of Educators Act to better align with modern day educational demands and challenges.

Key provisions from the BELA Bill include:

Compulsory Grade R: The Bill can make it mandatory for children to begin school at Grade R, with formal penalties for parents who fall short to enroll their youngsters​​.

Corporal Punishment: The Bill reinforces the ban on corporal punishment and prohibits other types website of punishment that may belittle learners​.

Language Policy: School governing bodies (SGBs) will continue to determine the language policy of schools, but here 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 learner pregnancies in schools​.