Parliament, Thursday, 23 February 2023 –The Portfolio Committee on Basic Education will from tomorrow kick-start a comprehensive nationwide public participation process on the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Bill in Limpopo where the committee will visit three regions. The committee invites interested individuals and organisations to contribute in the law-making process by attending the hearings and sharing their views.
The hearings are in line with Chapter 59 (1) of South Africa’s Constitution which compels the National Assembly to facilitate public involvement in the legislative process. Also, the legislative sector adopted a public participation model which placed public consultation at the centre of how it does its business.
“By first receiving various oral submissions from stakeholders and now this extensive nationwide process we are responding directly to the guarantees given by the Constitution as well as reaffirming the vision of our Parliament being the Parliament of the people by the people,” said Ms Bongiwe Mbinqo-Gigaba, the Chairperson of the committee.
The Bill proposes to amend the South African Schools Act (SASA) of 1996 and the Employment of Educators Act (EEA) of 1998, so as to align them with developments in the education landscape and to ensure that systems of learning are put in place in a manner that gives effect to the right to basic education enshrined in section 29(1) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996. This is done through the amendment of certain definitions, clarifying certain provisions and inserts new provisions that absent in the existing legislation.
The broad amendments provide for a variety of things including; the proposed Bill seeks to provide that attendance of grade R is compulsory and to amend the penalty provision in the case where the parent of a learner, or any other person, without just cause, prevents a learner who is subject to compulsory attendance from attending school.
The Bill also provides that the South African Sign Language has the status of an official language for purposes of learning at a public school. To safeguard the integrity of the basic education system, the Bill proposes to increase the penalty provision in the case where a person establishes or maintains an independent school and fails to register it.
In line with the intention to enable broader access to the work of the committee and to enable as extensive consultation as possible, the committee has resolved to hold its public hearings in the afternoons and on weekends
Details of Public Hearings (Day 1)
Date: Friday, 24 February 2023
Venue: Makwarela Community Hall (Vhembe District)
Time: 14:30
Details of Public Hearings (Day 2)
Date: Saturday, 25 February 2023
Venue: Lenyenye Community Hall (Mopani District)
Time: 14:30
Details of Public Hearings (Day 3)
Date: Sunday, 26 February 2023
Venue: Jack Botes Hall, Polokwane (Capricorn District)
Time: 12:00
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON BASIC EDUCATION, MS BONGIWE MBINQO-GIGABA
For media enquiries or interviews with the Chairperson, please contact the Committee’s Media Officer:
Name: Malatswa Molepo (Mr)
Parliamentary Communication Services
Tel: 021 403 8438
Cell: 081 512 7920
E-mail: mmolepo@parliament.gov.za
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