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The Portfolio Committee on Basic Education today concluded its clause-by-clause deliberations on the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Bill.
 
The committee commenced with its process yesterday after an extensive public participation process which saw the committee traveling to all provinces in the country to hold public hearings. Prior to that, the committee also gave an opportunity to other stakeholders and organisations to make oral submissions on the Bill at Parliament.
 
“The committee is grateful to all members of the public and stakeholders who took up the invitation to make input on this very important piece of legislation. Through this legislation we are attempting to better the education environment that our learners find themselves in in public schools.
 
“The last few days of deliberations on the Bill clearly shows that the committee took all inputs made by members of the public and stakeholders into consideration. We had constructive and fruitful engagements. Even on matters where Members disagreed, we did so respectfully,” said Committee Chairperson Ms Bongiwe Mbinqo-Gigaba.
 
The Bill proposes to amend the South African Schools Act (SASA) of 1996 and the Employment of Educators Act (EEA) of 1998, to align them with developments in the education landscape and to ensure that systems of learning are put in place in a manner that gives effect to the right to basic education as enshrined in section 29(1) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996.
 
The Bill also seeks to amend certain definitions, making Grade R compulsory and to provide for improvements in admission systems for learners in public schools. It further provides for financial and public accountability frameworks for governing bodies and provincial departments. The Bill provides the Minister with additional regulatory powers and enhances the decision-making and oversight powers of heads of departments and members of executive councils.
 
The Bill further proposes technical and substantive adjustments, clarifies certain existing provisions, inserts provisions not provided for in existing legislation and strengthens enforcement mechanisms for offences and penalties. The Bill also proposes amendments that regulates home schooling.
Ms Mbinqo-Gigaba said the committee extensively deliberated on all 56 clauses in the Bill. “In some instances Members agreed that certain provisions did not belong in the Bill, in other instances we vigorously debated some clauses while in some instances the DBE requested clauses be removed before we commenced deliberations on it. This speaks of a Parliament that listens to the people.”
 
The committee will meet in two weeks when it will receive a first draft of the Bill including all amendments that was agreed on during the deliberations.

Issued by the Parliamentary Communication Services on behalf of the chairperson of the portfolio committee on Basic Education, Bongiwe Mbinqo-Gigaba