Placard demonstration highlights Dundee parents’ displeasure with the Bela Bill
Some motorists sounded their hooters and gave a 'thumbs up' in support of the protest.
With the controversial Bela Bill on education being passed in the National Assembly, protesters gathered in Dundee yesterday displaying placards to vent their anger over what they say is legislation that will take away parental control and place children ‘in the hands of the Government’.
Those who gathered on the corner of Karel Landman and Tatham Streets said ‘The bill erodes the powers of governing bodies, takes powers away from provinces.’
The bill will provide that school attendance is compulsory from Grade R at the age of six and no longer from Grade 1. It also sets an admission age and that despite the age at which school attendance is compulsory as stipulated, a parent may (if he or she so wishes, subject to a few conditions) enrol a child at a school to start attending Grade R at a younger age.
Section 24 (a) regulates membership of a governing body, with a specialised focus on talent.
This area is currently unregulated.
See here what the protesters’ views on the Bela Bill are:
Section 41 regulates the exemption of a single parent to provide the governing body with necessary documents when applying for exemption from payment of school fees.
Controversially, the bill seeks to dilute the power of school governing bodies, which currently determine a school’s language and admission policy.
The minister will now be given this power.
One of the clauses that was particularly contentious with the protesters was on home-schooling, which will limit parents’ ability to decide whether to home-school their children.
The Bill will also take power away from Governing Bodies to decide on admission and language policies.
The Bill was passed in Parliament yesterday, receiving support from 223 MPs, while 78 voted against it.
The government argues the bill essentially seeks to strengthen governance in schools by tightening certain sections of the Schools Act.
President Ramaphosa has to still sign the bill to make it law as he did with the recent signing of the equally controversial NHI bill.
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