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THE Democratic Alliance (DA) has welcomed civil society’s opposition of the government’s Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Bill.
Various civil society groups and the DA , in particular, have criticised the proposed provisions in the bill, calling them a ‘coup’ against school governing bodies.
Thus far, 19 civil society organizations have already sent the Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga, a letter highlighting all the problematic clauses of the BELA Bill.
The DA said the bill seeks to enforce the ANC government’s ‘skewed war on Afrikaans’ without considering the far-reaching implications on quality teaching in other indigenous languages.
The bill, which was first announced in 2017, seeks to provide updated amendments to sections of the South African Schools Act.
This includes stricter rules around student attendance, admissions and language policies.
“The DA has extensively communicated on the problematic aspects of the BELA Bill and the ‘Lesufi clauses’ that will remove school governing bodies’ (SGBs) power to decide language and admissions policies that serves the best interests of their communities,” the party said on Monday.
“As such, the DA will fight the BELA Bill with everything in our power and continue to oppose it in Parliament.”
The party also slammed MEC of Education in Gauteng, Panyaza Lesufi, for backing certain clauses in the bill which it deems ‘racist’.
This after Lesufi said in recent weeks that no schools would be reserved for certain races or for races that speak a certain language.
“The Gauteng MEC of Education, Panyaza Lesufi, and his ANC comrades’ irrational hatred of Afrikaans and all speakers of the language will not only disadvantage them, but also mother tongue education of all indigenous languages and quality education as a whole,” the party said.
“The BELA Bill is another example of the ANC government putting ideology above the well-being of the people they’re meant to serve. And as national government, they’re meant to serve all the citizens of South Africa, irrespective of the language they speak.”
The DA urged the public to submit their concerns in writing to Llewellyn Brown, the secretary of the parliamentary portfolio committee on basic education via email to belabill02@parliament.gov.za or online at https://forms.gle/MoC6AdbdQyYPk3Y49 or via WhatsApp: +27 60 550 9848 by no later than 15 June 2022 at 16:00.
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