The signing of the Basic Education Amendment Laws (Bela) bill into law by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Friday marked a significant moment.
The bill, which has been at the centre of debate for years, is the first contested legislation under the government of national unity (GNU).
Ahead of the elections in May, the bill was passed by the National Assembly with 223 votes in favour of it and 78 voted against it – mostly from the DA. According to the Presidency, the bill aims to strengthen governance within SA’s education sector.
It proposes changes in the Schools Act of 1996 on key aspects such as making schooling compulsory for grade R, language and admission policies ensuring wider access to education.
But the DA, which is a key member of the GNU, claims that the bill focuses on centralising power and diminishing the influence of parents and communities in school governance. The party has particularly stated that it is opposed to transferring of power to set admission policies from school governing bodies to provincial heads of departments.
Ramaphosa held meetings with leaders of the parties represented in the GNU at an eleventh hour after DA leader John Steenhuisen voiced his unhappiness about it.
On Friday, as a result, basic education minister Siviwe Gwarube – a member of the DA – did not attend the signing ceremony of the bill at Union Buildings in Pretoria. In fact, Gwarube spoke openly about remaining opposed to the bill in its current form. This appeared to present a real conundrum to the GNU as Gwarube is the political head meant to oversee the implementation of the new law.
However, we have since learnt from the signing on Friday that the implementation of the most contentious clauses will remain suspended while further negotiations are underway.
It is clear the Bela bill has not only provided the first real test of the unity of the coalition in power but also to the president on far as he is willing to compromise on his decisions to maintain that unity.
Whatever the outcome of the negotiations, what majority of South Africans want to see is a commitment by their government to address past inequalities in our education system.
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Image: GCIS
The signing of the Basic Education Amendment Laws (Bela) bill into law by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Friday marked a significant moment.
The bill, which has been at the centre of debate for years, is the first contested legislation under the government of national unity (GNU).
Ahead of the elections in May, the bill was passed by the National Assembly with 223 votes in favour of it and 78 voted against it – mostly from the DA. According to the Presidency, the bill aims to strengthen governance within SA’s education sector.
It proposes changes in the Schools Act of 1996 on key aspects such as making schooling compulsory for grade R, language and admission policies ensuring wider access to education.
But the DA, which is a key member of the GNU, claims that the bill focuses on centralising power and diminishing the influence of parents and communities in school governance. The party has particularly stated that it is opposed to transferring of power to set admission policies from school governing bodies to provincial heads of departments.
Ramaphosa held meetings with leaders of the parties represented in the GNU at an eleventh hour after DA leader John Steenhuisen voiced his unhappiness about it.
On Friday, as a result, basic education minister Siviwe Gwarube – a member of the DA – did not attend the signing ceremony of the bill at Union Buildings in Pretoria. In fact, Gwarube spoke openly about remaining opposed to the bill in its current form. This appeared to present a real conundrum to the GNU as Gwarube is the political head meant to oversee the implementation of the new law.
However, we have since learnt from the signing on Friday that the implementation of the most contentious clauses will remain suspended while further negotiations are underway.
It is clear the Bela bill has not only provided the first real test of the unity of the coalition in power but also to the president on far as he is willing to compromise on his decisions to maintain that unity.
Whatever the outcome of the negotiations, what majority of South Africans want to see is a commitment by their government to address past inequalities in our education system.
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