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The deadline for an important opportunity for the public to provide written submissions once more on the Basic Education Laws Amendment Bill (also known as the BELA Bill) has been postponed from 19 to 31 January 2024. AfriForum welcomed this announcement by the Select Committee on Education and Technology, Sports, Arts and Culture of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP).

AfriForum’s comments have already been submitted, but due to the serious nature of the matter, it emphasises that every opportunity to submit comments against the contentious aspects of BELA should be utilised. Due to the past festive season, it was not possible for all stakeholders to finalise their comments in time, and now they have two more weeks to do so.

According to Alana Bailey, AfriForum’s Head of Cultural Affairs, the Bill includes proposals that pose a serious threat to the future of quality education in general, and Afrikaans mother-language education in particular. This, inter alia, entails that if the Bill is passed in its current format, communities’ and parents’ decision-making powers regarding crucial aspects of their children’s education will be terminated. The draft law proposes, among other things, that the final decisions on schools’ admission and language policies must be taken by the provincial heads of education. These powers currently rest with democratically elected governing bodies and not with the authorities.

“Communities have a right to decide for themselves about the language of and access to their schools. Access to mother-language education is essential for the best learning outcomes. Governing bodies also spend millions of rands annually to create extra positions in schools to ensure that children do not end up in overcrowded classrooms. If the current version of the Bill is passed, parents will lose these final decision-making powers and children will be left even more at the mercy of political power games and the administrative mismanagement of authorities,” Bailey says.

AfriForum calls on everyone who has an interest in our children’s future to participate in this public consultation process, even if they have already commented on the Bill orally or in writing on previous occasions. “Every opportunity to oppose the Bill should be utilised – the matter is too important to ignore any chance for public participation,” she adds.

If the NCOP approves the Bill in its current format, the next step is for the President to decide whether to sign it or not. However, the NCOP can also reject it or propose amendments to it, and this is where the public’s input can play an important role.

Issued by AfriForum