Hotly contested Education Bill to be debated in Dundee
The KZN Legislature is currently holding public hearings to hear views on the BELA Bill. In Dundee, this will be from 10:00 on February 6 in the Moth Hall.
The public will have the opportunity to voice their opinion on the hotly debated Basic Education Laws Amendment Bill, known as the BELA Bill.
Some parents have criticised the bill, as they say it will water down the powers of School Governing Bodies and centralise power in the hands of the national minister.
The bill has already been passed by majority vote in the Portfolio Committee of Parliament and the deadline for submissions against the bill is February 20.
“If it had not been for the DA, thousands of email submissions would have remained not analysed. The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Basic Education’s ANC majority completely disregarded the bulk of submissions that rejected the BELA Bill and voiced concerns regarding its implementation,” said Dr Imran Keeka, the DA’s provincial spokesperson on education.
“We oppose the BELA Bill in its current form for the following reasons:
– Language policies:
The DA opposes disempowering SGBs from determining schools’ language policies;
– Admission policies:
The BELA Bill seeks to disempower School Governing Bodies from determining their schools’ admission policies and centralise this competency to HODs;
– Centralisation of power:
School Governing Bodies at public schools and schools for learners with special needs (LSEN) should be free to determine how their members are elected without the minister’s intrusion on the provinces;
– Regulation of the home-schooling sector – The department has failed to meaningfully engage with the home-schooling sector regarding the most reasonable and appropriate ways to assess learners.
Nor has the department satisfactorily addressed parents’ concerns regarding registration of learners and inspection of premises.
Furthermore, the bill does not provide enough protection for victims of sexual assault who have to attend disciplinary hearings, which could lead to further traumatisation; and
– Mandatory Grade R – There has not been any feasibility study on where these additional funds will come from.
The Department of Basic Education (DBE) does not have the R12 billion needed to implement this for all learners.
Parents who are financially unable will not be in a position to send their children to school.
“Given these challenges, adequate public participation around the BELA Bill is vital,” Dr Keeka concluded.
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