BELA Act: The facts
The last thing the newly formed government of national unity needs is terrible PR. In the lead-up to the signing of the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Act last Friday, it seemed the wheels of the GNU were about to come off, with DA leader John Steenhuisen throwing down the gauntlet, saying the stability of the GNU would be threatened if Ramaphosa signed the bill.
Two days later, the signing ceremony went ahead, sans the presence of the DA’s Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube.
News24 columnist Mcebisi Ndletyana wrote earlier this week that it was an unseemly spectacle that made government look amateurish.
“Controversies are unavoidable in political life. But, they can be avoided, especially if the aim is to consolidate and build confidence in the GNU”, he added.
While the BELA Act has been signed into law, Ramaphosa has delayed the implementation of two clauses for three months to allow for more time to deliberate and make proposals on how the different views may be accommodated.
The two sticking points were the articles stating a school governing body must submit the language and admissions policy of a public school and any amendment to the provincial education’s head of department for approval.
A slew of organisations have objected to these two clauses, including the DA, AfriForum, Suid-Afrikaanse Onderwysunie (SAOU) and the Federation of Governing Bodies of South African Schools (Fedsas).
In this week’s Friday Briefing, we will break down the facts of the BELA Act. Is new legislation an ‘act of agression’ or what schools need?
News24’s assistant editor of investigations Pieter du Toit writes that as much as the DA is against the act, it should resist getting into bed with bodies such as AfriForum and Solidarity to challenge it.
We also have a contribution from the chief director of communications in the Department of education, Elijah Mhlanga, who explains why the act is necessary.
In the third submission, in-depth writer Muhammad Hussain sits down with Fedsas’ Dr Jaco Deacon and Wits education policy specialist Professor Brahm Fleisch to consider the gaps in the act. Concerns have been raised that the act will primarily address issues on the periphery and not, for example, ensure children know how to read.
Finally, News24’s columnist Qaanitah Hunter argues why she thinks the spat between the ANC and the DA over the act wasn’t as big a deal as everyone thought.
Hope you enjoy the submissions.
Best,
Vanessa Banton
Opinions editor.
BELA Act gaps persist: Implementation date, funding and centralised procurement
Experts critique the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act for missing key opportunities to address systemic issues in education. With concerns over implementation and funding, the Act’s impact remains uncertain. Muhammad Hussain sits down with Fedsas’ Dr Jaco Deacon and Professor Brahm Fleisch from the Wits School of Education to discuss concerns over the Act.
Nothing to see here: BELA Bill spat is just GNU growing pains
Some have argued that the government of national unity’s public spat over the Basic Education Laws Amendment Bill marks the first real sign of conflict within the arrangement. Qaanitah Hunter argues that we’re making more of this issue than necessary.
