<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Regulating various aspects of school governing bodies;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Making Grade R the new compulsory school-starting age;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Criminalising parents who do not ensure their children are in school;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Regulating home education;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Confirming the ban on corporal punishment.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
While some provisions have been widely welcomed\u2014including expanding the definition of corporal punishment to protect children and criminalising some parental conduct\u2014there are various parts of the Bill which still have many up in arms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These are related to cracking the whip on School Governing Bodies (SGBs), language policies, and what is labelled as increasing and centralising the state\u2019s power and control of education and schools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ramaphosa now leads a coalition government, the GNU comprising 10 parties formed after the ANC lost its majority in the May 2024 elections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Parties part of the GNU but against the current version of the BELA Bill include the DA and Freedom Front Plus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The DA said that \u201ccentralising power in the hands of unelected bureaucrats undermines the critical role of parents, educators, and local governing bodies in shaping the educational landscape of their communities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After the Bill was passed, the FF Plus said that “if the President signs this law, a full-blown legal battle will ensue [and] the poor consideration of public participation and certain flawed aspects of the Bill itself will most probably be challenged in the Constitutional Court.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“If government does start implementing the law, an exodus from public schools will soon follow,” added the party.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With the bill sitting on Ramaphosa\u2019s desk waiting for a signature to become law, the new Basic Education Minister, the DA\u2019s Siviwe Gwarube, hoped to change the President\u2019s mind on putting pen to paper before revisions are made.<\/p>\n\n\n
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/siviwe-gwarube-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/a>Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube (Right) <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n Could be a GNU dealbreaker<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
“During the negotiations [for the formation of the GNU], the DA made it clear that the BELA Bill was unacceptable to us in its current form because it has constitutional implications for the right to mother-tongue education, amongst other issues,” said Steenhuisen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Like Gwarube, the DA urged President Ramaphosa to send the Bill back to Parliament for a few amendments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The DA leader and Agriculture Minister said that “despite this, and in violation of the provisions of the Statement of Intent, the President seems intent on pushing ahead unilaterally.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said that he has moved to meet with the President before Friday to re-iterate their objections “in the strongest terms,” submit the amendments proposed by the DA, and urge the President to use his powers to send the Bill back to Parliament.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“If the President continues to ride rough-shod over these objections, he is endangering the future of the Government of National Unity, and destroying the good faith on which it was based,” said Steenhuisen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The DA said that the establishment of a dispute resolution mechanism “must now be a priority to ensure that all parties uphold both the letter and spirit of the Statement of Intent and that the ANC understands that they can no longer take unilateral action on issues that affect fundamental rights.”<\/p>\n\n\n
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/gnu-cABINET-mINISTERS--1024x576.png\")
<\/a>The GNU’s ministers and deputy ministers<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n It’s not what you think<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
While Ramaphosa has some urging him to drop the pen and send the Bill back to Parliament, many (most notably those within his own party) are calling on him to sign along the dotted line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The BELA Bill is a brainchild of the ANC and features quite extensively in the outcomes of its most <\/a>recent <\/a>policy conference<\/a> (2022).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The conference report states that \u201ceffective oversight of schools must be performed by ANC structures working with School Governing Bodies (SGBs) and the adoption of schools by ANC structures and leaders to ensure regular monitoring and support.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It also said that it would do a \u201creview of homeschooling,\u201d and provide extensive \u201csupport for the BELA Bill and ensure ongoing mobilisation of communities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
ANC Gauteng chairperson and provincial Premier Panyaza Lesufi used his recent response to the President\u2019s Opening of Parliament speech to challenge Ramaphosa to ignore the naysayers and turn the Bill into law.<\/p>\n\n\n
- Confirming the ban on corporal punishment.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- Regulating home education;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- Criminalising parents who do not ensure their children are in school;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- Making Grade R the new compulsory school-starting age;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/siviwe-gwarube-e1721195028893.jpg\")
<\/a>