The FF Plus is launching a campaign on 25 March 2022, to have the Basic Education Laws Amendment Bill (generally referred to as the BELA Bill) withdrawn.
In terms of this Bill, school governing bodies must relinquish the responsibility for schools’ language and enrolment policies to provincial departmental heads.
Moreover, developments relating to the Covid-19 pandemic have irrevocably changed education; so much so that there is talk of an educational revolution. Therefore, this Bill that was drafted in 2017 will be outdated before it is even enacted.
The theme of the FF Plus’s campaign is: “Ring the Bell about the BELA Bill!” The reason behind it is that the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education is launching a public participation process today, which will continue until the 30th of April at 16:00.
So, everyone who holds education dear have the opportunity to persuade Parliament that this Bill must not be made law.
The FF Plus’s policy is that education should be in the hands of the community.
In many countries with such a great cultural diversity, education is a function of community councils rather than the national government.
Experience has taught the FF Plus that in South Africa, centralisation is used to impose the national government’s socio-political agenda on schools even though the impression is created that the main objective is sound management.
Thus, the party is very sceptical about transferring functions and capacities from school governing bodies to the provincial departmental head.
Furthermore, the rigid distinction that the Bill makes between public schools and homeschools is completely out of touch with reality.
In terms of the Bill, micro schools consisting of a few families practising home-education together are defined as independent schools, which will be violating the law unless they meet a long list of requirements.
However, online classes, service providers who assist home- and micro schools with assessment and even homework, and ordinary schools offering support services online have blurred the traditional lines. That is not reflected in this Bill, though.
Minister Angie Motshekga recently announced far-reaching changes to how the Department of Basic Education will approach education in the future.
She wants to expand mother-tongue education so that speakers of all indigenous languages may enjoy the privilege that only Afrikaans learners have at this stage, namely, to receive education in their own language to the highest possible level.
In addition, education will be adjusted to ensure that those learners who are unable to continue their studies after school are better prepared for the workplace. These developments are not reflected in the Bill either.
In the FF Plus’s view it is better to withdraw the BELA Bill so that new legislation, which is in step with the times, can be drafted.
Support the FF Plus’s cause and let your voice be heard here
Access the full text of the Bill here
All input received by the FF Plus will be submitted to the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education on the 30th of April.
Read the original article in Afrikaans by Dr. Wynand Boshoff on FF Plus
