Basic Education Minister Gwarube to boycott Bela Bill signing
Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube will not attend Friday’s signing of the Basic Education Laws Amendment Bill into law.
President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to sign the controversial BELA Bill into law at a public ceremony at the Union Buildings.
"I have thus written to the President and notified him that, in the present circumstance, I cannot attend today's signing ceremony until concerns regarding the Bill are rectified,” Gwarube said.
"I remain ready to serve South Africa and ensure that millions of learners across the country can access quality education."
The bill proposes several changes to the South African Schools Act, including transferring control to the Basic Education Department to determine a school's language policies and curriculums.
The bill dictates that Grade R will now be the new compulsory school-starting age, and parents who fail to enrol their children for Grade R will be formally penalised.
Some amendments include penalties for those found guilty of corporal punishment - which is illegal at schools.
Gwarube, a member of the DA, said she remains opposed to the Bela Bill in its current form and has requested Ramaphosa refer it back to Parliament for reconsideration.
She said objections to the bill must be considered to ensure that it is rectified to avoid protracted and costly legal action.
"I have also provided inputs on why this should be done. To this end, I have raised the following issues: The constitutionality of provisions on the implementation of admissions and language policies determined by the governing bodies of public schools and the need for a phased approach to implementing Grade R as a compulsory and permanent feature of the basic education system based on the capacity of provincial education departments, public schools, and early childhood development centres to offer access to Grade R to all learners who require it.
"Parliament must be allowed to fix what is currently wrong with the bill so that millions of learners across the country can access and receive quality education for a better South Africa. We must consider the objections to the Bill and ensure that it is rectified to avoid protracted and costly legal action."
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