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

The Act will introduce sizeable changes into the South African Schools Act plus the Employment of Educators Act to better align with modern instructional demands and difficulties.

Vital provisions on the BELA Bill consist of:

Compulsory Grade R: The Bill can make it mandatory for youngsters to start check here school at Grade R, with official penalties for folks who click here fall short to enroll their children​​.

Corporal Punishment: The Bill reinforces the ban on corporal punishment and prohibits other kinds 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 get more info 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​.