GEORGE NEWS - The Bela Bill was first drafted in 2017, but the current version was introduced to Parliament last year.
It is aimed at amending the South African Schools Act of 1996 and the Employment of Educators Act of 1998.
The idea is to align them with the developments in education, but the bill has not been welcomed by all.
Some of the key amendments that the bill aims to make include:
- Making grade R the new compulsory school starting age, as opposed to grade 1, as is currently the case.
- Compelling the registration of home-schooled learners.
- Criminalising parents who do not ensure their child or children are in school, with fines or jail time up to 12 months.
- Holding school governing bodies more accountable for disclosures of financial interests – including those related to their spouses and family members.
- Prohibiting educators from conducting business with the state or being a director of public or private companies conducting business with the state.
- Abolishing corporal punishment and initiation/hazing practices.
- Allowing schools to sell alcohol outside of school hours.
- Giving government department heads power over language policies and the curriculums a school must adopt. (Sources: parliament.gov.za; businesstech.co.za.)
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