President Cyril Ramaphosa has signed the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Act into law, paving the way for significant changes in South Africa's education system. The legislation received approval from all Government of National Unity (GNU) parties following an extensive three-month consultation process.
Ramaphosa emphasised that the BELA Act aims to transform the education system to promote equality and align with constitutional rights. While GNU parties initially raised concerns over specific clauses, consensus was reached, and the Act will be implemented in full without further amendments.
Universal Grade R Access a Priority
The President has tasked Minister of Basic Education Siviwe Gwarube with overseeing the implementation of the BELA Act, prioritising universal access to Grade R and ensuring preparedness through updated norms and standards.
I have also instructed the Minister to do what is necessary, as is customary with any law, to ensure that the timeframe of implementation – particularly with regard to the preparedness of the system for universal Grade R access – and the consequential regulations setting out the norms and standards are prepared.
Minister Gwarube Pushes for More Resources
Minister Gwarube acknowledged the challenges facing the education system and stressed the need for immediate action to ensure the success of the BELA Act rollout.
The system needs to kick into gear and the system is not at a place where there are certain things that can be done as of yet, but the president has commenced with it, so now we are moving at pace to make sure that the system catches up with that announcement.
The Minister plans to approach Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana to advocate for increased funding for basic education, particularly to support the implementation of compulsory Grade R.
And this is the case I intend to make to the Minister of Finance, to say since the President has commenced with this immediately, we are now under pressure to make sure that we can deliver compulsory Grade R.
Guidelines for Schools
As Grade R becomes compulsory, Gwarube underlined the importance of clear guidelines for schools to navigate the transition.
I want there to at least be guidelines that are sent to the provinces and to schools, to be able to say how do you handle Grade R if perhaps you were not ready to receive Grade R class. So that they can get guidance from the national department on how they deal with something like that, that’s why the guidelines are there to help them navigate this new reality.
The implementation of the BELA Act signals a transformative period for South Africa’s education system, with a strong focus on early childhood development and equal access for all learners.
