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The Portfolio Committee on Basic Education has concluded the Western Cape leg of public hearings with a session held at the Gugulethu Indoor Sports Complex where residents of the greater City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality had mixed views on the Basic Education Laws Amendment Bill. The committee has now concluded successful public hearings in seven provinces.

“We are satisfied with the process thus far and that South Africans have been given an adequate platform to raise their perspective on this Bill. In all the sessions held thus far halls were oversubscribed pointing to a burning desire to ensure a better future for their children. Also the quality of inputs was commendable, which empowers the committee to make guided decisions on the Bill,” said Ms Bongiwe Mbinqo-Gigaba, the Chairperson of the committee.

Those that supported the Bill stressed that the transformative intentions of the Bill will improve the quality of the education system, especially for leaners from poor families. They emphasised that in their view, the proposal for the inclusion of heads of departments in determining language and admission policies at schools will prevent the discriminatory tendencies allegedly exhibited by some school governing bodies (SGBs).

Those opposing the Bill argued that it seeks to further inflate the power of the state and undermine the God-given and constitutionally guaranteed right for a parent to make decisions about their children. In addition, they underscored that the Bill is primarily intended to strip away the power and authority over SGBs to determine language and admission policies, thereby undermining mother-tongue education, especially Afrikaans.

Those in favour of the Bill highlighted that Clause 37 of the Bill is necessary to regulate the sector to enable the department to account for every child within the system and also to ensure uniformity and access. They further argued that home schooling is available only to well-off families, something they think the Bill will address.

Those who oppose the Bill suggested that home-schooling is available even for low income families, but the proposals made by clause 37 of acquiring independent assessors and the requirement of continuous assessments is, according to participants, going to be costly and will price it out of reach of poor families. There was also a concern that clause 37 is ambiguous and dangerously opens up the the bill to interpretation.

Some of the participants who supported the Bill raised issues with some clauses that in their view need further scrutiny. They highlighted for reconsideration the clause that seeks to criminalise teachers for conducting protected strike action that might impact on teaching and learning.

For their part, parents and learners of home-schooled children suggested that the Department of Basic Education must conduct proper research and a socio-impact analysis on home schooling before attempting to draft another clause. Meanwhile, there was general agreement among participants that alcohol be banned from being sold in schools as it might encourage further substance abuse in the community.

Now that the committee has completed the Western Cape leg of hearings, it will move to the Northern and Eastern Cape.

Issued by Parliamentary Communication Services on behalf of the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education, Ms Bongiwe Mbinqo-Gigaba