GEORGE NEWS - The Portfolio Committee on Basic Education decided in February that an extensive public participation process will be followed for the recently introduced Basic Education Laws Amendment Bill (Bela Bill), but now, a month later, a date for this is yet to be announced.

The process was set to start in March, but this Wednesday, 16 March, the committee's media officer Rajaa Azzakani told George Herald that an advertising date is yet to be determined. 

The committee will provide a month for written public comment on the bill, after which it will engage in public hearings.

Several opponents to the bill are keen to air their concerns and hope it won't fall on deaf ears.

The bill will amend the South African Schools Act of 1996 and the Employment of Educators Act of 1998. 

This will make Grade R attendance compulsory and increase the jail penalty from six to 12 months for anyone (including parents) who prevents a learner who is still subject to compulsory school attendance, from attending school.

The bill will also obligate parents of children who receive home-schooling to apply to the provincial head of department (HOD) for approval and registration of the learner for home-based education. 

The HOD may require a delegated official to conduct a pre-registration home education site visit and consultation with the parents and learner to verify the information supplied in the application and ensure it is in the best interests of the learner.

Other provisions include:
n Several changes to how school governing boards currently function, including having to submit the admission and language policies of the school to the provincial HOD for approval.

•  Compulsory monitoring of learner attendance by educators, principals and school governing bodies.
• The code of conduct of a public school must consider the diverse cultural beliefs, religious observances and medical circumstances of learners at the school.
• Corporal punishment is abolished and no person may inflict or impose corporal punishment on a learner at a school, during a school activity, or in a hostel accommodating learners of a school.
• Provisions for the conditions under which liquor may be possessed, sold or consumed on school premises or during school activities.
• The bill prohibits teachers from conducting business with the state or from being a director of a public or private company conducting business with the state, and creates an offence should an educator contravene this provision.

Sadtu
The SA Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) welcomed most of the proposed amendments. "Overall, we feel the amendments are there to ensure that learners access their right to education. It is further opening the doors of learning," said media officer Nomusa Cembi.

The SA Teachers Union did not respond to a request for comment.

Centralising of power
In a meeting of the basic education committee in February, some opponents to the bill cautioned that the bill would be centralising powers and would be turning community schools into state schools, especially when referring to codes of conduct and language policies in schools.

According to the committee's meeting report dated 8 February, concerns have been expressed regarding the financial impact of the bill and the ability of the Department of Basic Education to provide compulsory education from Grade R by the time the bill becomes law.

Cost implications of the proposed bill include costing for procurement of competent assessors for home education, provision of personnel by provincial departments to consider language and admission policies, and provision of educators and infrastructure for Grade R learners.

Corporal punishment is officially abolished.

The admission policy of every public school is subject to approval by the provincial education head of department.

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