The Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Bill was a short while ago authorised because of the South African Parliament and is also now just ready being signed into law because of the President.

The Act will introduce important improvements for the South African Schools Act and the Employment of Educators Act to better align with modern day academic needs and challenges.

Crucial provisions on the BELA Bill include:

Compulsory Grade R: The Bill makes it obligatory for children to begin school at Grade R, with official penalties for folks who fail to enroll their young website children​​.

Corporal Punishment: The Bill reinforces the ban on corporal punishment and prohibits other varieties of punishment that could 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 click here 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​.