Experts in the Education field are pleading for President Ramaphosa to send the pending Basic Education Laws Amendment Bill (BELA) back to parliament to be redrafted, reports Cape {town} Etc.
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Education analyst and CEO of IDEA Digital Education, Dr Corrin Varady, commented that the BELA Bill could aid in the actualization of genuine change, but only if the bill as it currently stands, is redrafted.
The bill was initially introduced by former Basic Education Minister, Angie Motshekga, in January 2022. On 16 May 2024, the bill was passed by Parliament.
The bill ultimately aims to amend specific sections of the South African Schools Act (SASA) while entrenching the principles of leaving no child behind and ensuring access to education for all children.
The bill covers widespread regulation from the inclusion of Grade R as a mandatory year to complete, homeschooling, abolishment of corporal punishment and initiations and the criminalization of disruptions to schools.
Certain provisions of the Bill have received undoubted support. These provisions include the compulsory schooling from Grade R until Grade 9 as well as the ban of corporal punishment.
However, experts have advised that the bill in its current form fails to effectively address the root of tribulation in South Africa’s schooling sector.
Varady describes the bill as ‘a prime-example of a distraction from core challenges.’ She goes on to say that the bill leaves schools with less autonomy to address their specific issues, as it adopts a ‘one size fits all’ approach to education in the country.
BusinessTech reports that the bill fails to address the low literacy rates and poor educational outcomes seen in the country.
Varady concludes that the passing of the bill is a superficial achievement compared to the monumental task of transforming the education system.
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