The Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Bill was a short while ago approved via the South African Parliament which is now just waiting to be signed into legislation from the President.

The Act will introduce sizeable variations on the South African Schools Act and the Employment of Educators Act to better align with present-day educational needs and challenges.

Essential provisions from the BELA Bill consist of:

Compulsory Grade R: The Bill can make it mandatory for kids to get started on school at Grade R, with formal penalties website for parents who are unsuccessful to enroll their kids​​.

Corporal Punishment: The Bill reinforces the ban on corporal punishment and prohibits other sorts of punishment that may belittle learners​.

Language Policy: School governing bodies (SGBs) will continue to determine the language policy of schools, but these policies website must be approved by the head of the education 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 in schools​.