The Rise Mzansi is in support of President Cyril Ramaphosa signing the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Act into law, despite having some concerns about the Act.
“RISE Mzansi notes that today, President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Act into law. Broadly, we support the BELA Act, although we outline some concerns below.” said RISE Mzansi National Spokesperson, Gugu Ndima.
Ndima further explains that while BELA, which amends the South African Schools Act and the Employment of Educators Act, may not be perfect, it is a robust piece of legislation that will help ensure laws regulating schooling adapt to the evolving needs of society and education.
“With communities becoming more diverse, RISE Mzansi believes that admission and language policies of schools must result from provincial heads of department and school governing bodies working together.
This will eliminate perceived and real discrimination, especially on the basis of language giving weight to the right to quality education of all learners.” She said.
Ndima furthermore agrees that home schooling must be appropriately regulated to ensure it meets quality education standards and safeguards children's rights to receive the same educational benefits.
RISE Mzansi demanded clarification on the program's funding and voiced concerns about the consequences for parents who are unable to enrol their children in Grade R because of their poverty.
“We are concerned about the penalties for parents of children who are not in Grade R as this may be due to circumstances those parents cannot control, such as being too poor.
“More clarity is needed on how Grade R is going to be funded given that this was previously a programme of the Department of Social Development,” they party said.
Moreover, Rise Mzansi vowed to closely monitor the implementation of the BELA Act and, where it falls short, use their representation in the National Assembly to propose further amendments.
Rise Mzansi urges all role players and stakeholders to refrain from distorting the legislation for narrow political interests, emphasising that the needs of learners and educators must take priority, regardless of race, class, or location.
IOL