Controversial Bela Bill… Time Will tell

‘SGBs can work with this,’ says FEDSAS about feasible, practical ‘new’ BELAB

SA – Clear rules of engagement are at the heart of the version of the Basic Education Laws Amendment Bill, or BELAB, that was approved by National Council of Provinces’ Chosen Committee on Education, Technology and Sport on Thursday, 24 April 2024. 

“There are comprehensive changes to the version that was approved,” says Dr Jaco Deacon, CEO of FEDSAS (the Federation of Governing Bodies of South African Schools). The initial amendments pertaining to language and admissions policies, which would have shifted the decision-making authority to the provincial Head of Education, have been adapted to the extent that it now remains a function of the school governing body. “It does give limited oversight to heads of education but with clear guidelines as to how this should take place.”

Deacon says the amendments emphasise the importance of public participation. “Legislative processes can be slow, and some actions might feel like a futile exercise. However, as far as BELAB is concerned, this is an example of how a healthy, democratic process should work. FEDSAS is also grateful towards the Department, Minister and politicians who handled the thousands of public inputs with due seriousness. The participation of schools, citizens and several organisations were crucial to the changes.”

FEDSAS was involved with the BELAB process since 2017. “Although the organisation often expressed its opinion in the public sphere on some of the more controversial amendments, the organisation continued to be involved as an education partner and by using the organisation’s experience at grassroots level to make contributions in terms of the feasibility of some of the amendments.”

The proposed amendments now allow public schools to remain public schools governed by school governing bodies. This was the original vision of the South African Schools’ Act and the current version, in contrast to previous versions, embodies this spirit.

FEDSAS, press release extracts, published on 25 April 2024