The Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Bill was just lately approved via the South African Parliament which is now just waiting around to get 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 contemporary academic needs and issues.

Key provisions on the BELA Bill include:

Compulsory Grade R: The Bill causes it to be required for children to start out school at Grade R, with official penalties for parents who fall short to enroll their small children​​.

Corporal Punishment: The Bill reinforces the ban on corporal punishment and prohibits other kinds 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 read more 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 read more in schools​.