Latest news with #BasicEducationLawsAmendment
TimesLIVE
09-07-2025
- Politics
- TimesLIVE
Parliament warns against stalling Bela Act implementation
The portfolio committee on basic education has raised alarm over delays in finalising key regulations of the Basic Education Laws Amendment (Bela) Act, warning it will not allow deliberate delays. Committee chairperson Joy Maimela said most members believe there are attempts to prevent the full implementation of the act by dragging out the process of drafting regulations, specially those dealing with the contentious sections on language and admission. 'Most members of the committee are of the view that deliberate attempts are being made to hold up the full implementation of the act by delaying the drafting of regulations, specially those that speak to the two contentious sections. The regulations should provide the necessary clarity to implementers of the act,' she said. The committee was briefed by the department of basic education and provincial departments on Tuesday regarding the implementation of the act and status of regulations for sections 4 and 5. The Bela Act was signed into law by President Cyril Ramaphosa in September 2024. After the act was passed, parties were given time to make proposals on how to resolve disagreements about the language and admission policies in the two sections. No consensus was reached, and the act was enacted on the understanding detailed regulations would follow. Maimela reminded basic education minister Siviwe Gwarube that the deadline for the regulations was the end of June.
IOL News
09-07-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Minister Siviwe Gwarube says BELA Act is being implemented despite ongoing work on regulations
Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube says the BELA Act is being implemented, but Parliament urges urgency on final regulations—especially for admissions and language policy—to ensure clarity, consistency, and full compliance across all provinces. Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube says the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Act is already being actively implemented, even as work continues on the finalisation of supporting regulations. Addressing Parliament's portfolio committee on Tuesday during the 2025/26 Budget Vote, Gwarube said her department had rolled out extensive support to provinces and districts to ensure the Act's smooth implementation since it came into effect on December 24, 2024. 'This support has included training of provincial and district officials, the development of interim guidelines and the development of an extensive suite of draft regulations to further support implementation,' she said. Gwarube confirmed that the first two regulations , focused on admissions and school capacity , will be published for public comment in the coming weeks. She stressed the Department of Basic Education's (DBE) commitment to a "legal and policy framework that is responsive and fit for purpose." However, the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education expressed concern over delays in the drafting of the full set of regulations. Committee Chairperson Joy Maimela said: 'The majority of Members of the committee are of the view that deliberate attempts are being made to hold the full implementation of the BELA Act by delaying the drafting of regulations, especially those that speak to the two contentious sections. These regulations should provide the necessary clarity to implementers of the Act.' The committee was particularly concerned about Sections 4 and 5 of the Act, which relate to school admission and language policy—issues that remain contentious. Although additional time had been given for stakeholders to reach consensus, no agreement was reached, and the Act was enacted with the understanding that detailed regulations would follow. Maimela reminded Gwarube that the deadline for finalising the regulations was the end of June 2025.
IOL News
09-07-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Gwarube announces upcoming publication of Bela regulations for public comment
Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube says the first two regulations of the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act will be published in the coming weeks for public comment. Image: GCIS Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube said the first two regulations for the Basic Education Laws Amendment (Bela) Act will be published in the coming weeks. Presenting the department budget for 2025/26 in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) on Tuesday afternoon, Gwarube said her department has actively supported the education sector to implement the Bela Act, which came into effect on December 24. She said there has also been development of interim guidelines and draft regulations for further support and implementation. 'The first two regulations, which focused on admissions and capacity, will be published in the coming weeks for public comment. Further regulations will follow,' she said. 'This reflects our commitment to a legal and policy framework, which is responsive and fit for purpose. These broader efforts signal a broader shift to a more responsible, accountable leadership and a system that is grounded in purpose and growth.' Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading The minister presented the budget after she and the provincial departments briefed the Basic Education Portfolio on the Bela Act regulations and implementation as they related to Grade R admissions. Gwarube, who previously promised the regulations would be published by the end of June, reportedly told the portfolio committee that 10 task teams were established to handle each regulation, and two regulations, now with the State Law Advisor, were nearly finalised. Committee chairperson Joy Maimela said in a statement that they had not been furnished with any guidelines or regulations. 'During our engagements with the provincial departments of education, it became apparent that the guidelines differ from the South African Schools Act. Some provincial departments are also confused about whether they received guidelines or regulations. This is the confusion we were concerned about from the start. If the provincial departments of education are confused, what about the general public and other stakeholders,' Maimale said. She said the committee has requested Gwarube to provide a comprehensive report within four working days on the process that led to the drafting of the guidelines. 'The committee is of the view that the time spent for draft guidelines could have been utilised rather for drafting regulations. We need the detail of what led to the guidelines as we must discuss if we need to write to the Office of the President and explain the confusion created in the sector,' said Maimela. Presenting the budget at the NCOP, Gwarube said the department's budget was R35 billion. She said the early childhood development grant has increased from R1.7 billion, with over R230 million allocated to early childhood development nutrition. A total of R162m has been set aside for early childhood development infrastructure. 'Our goal is that every child must enter Grade 1 ready to learn cognitively, be ready emotionally and physically ready.' Gwarube said improving foundational learning was at the heart of their strategy to ensure more learners progressed through the system, exited with quality results, and were better placed to study further, start sustainable businesses, or enter the job market. 'Our strategy places strong emphasis on string quality of early childhood and strengthening foundational literacy and numeracy.' She said they have set themselves to register 10,000 early childhood development centres in the current financial year. Gwarube also said they have developed learning and teaching support material to assist early childhood practitioners in effectively implementing their strategy. 'We are also developing human resources development strategy just for early childhood development to guide professionalism of the sector. ' She added that the Funza Lushaka Bursary Scheme has been aligned to prioritise the foundation phase teaching.
The Citizen
08-07-2025
- General
- The Citizen
More than 7 000 grade R teachers aren't qualified to teach their class
As the Bela Bill takes shape, the Department of Basic education admits 22% of Grade R teachers in SA are not qualified. As the Department of Basic Education (DBE) pushes ahead with the Basic Education Laws Amendment (Bela) Bill, it has admitted that more than 7 000 grade R teachers across South Africa are not qualified to teach the grade. This revelation came during a Basic Education parliamentary committee meeting on Tuesday. According to the DBE, there are 25 944 qualified Grade R teachers in the system. However, when adding unqualified practitioners, 22% of all Grade R teachers are not suitably equipped to educate pupils in this critical foundation phase. KZN tops list of unqualified grade R teachers KwaZulu-Natal recorded the highest number of unqualified Grade R teachers with 1 937, followed by the Western Cape with 1 416. The department also noted that KZN still has 198 schools without Grade R classes. In contrast, the North West had the fewest unqualified grade R teachers, just two, followed by Mpumalanga. Mpumalanga reported a total of 2 033 Grade R practitioners, but 280 of them remain unqualified. This accounts for nearly 14%, or about one in five grade R teachers in the province, who do not meet the required qualifications. ALSO READ: Payment delays for school assistants caused by DBE verification issues DBE oversight visits uncover policy gaps The DBE has been conducting oversight visits as part of the Bela Bill implementation and uncovered several systemic issues. These include outdated or incomplete admissions policies at many schools. 'School learner admissions policies have not yet been amended to include provisions of the amended South African Schools Act,' said the DBE. The department said some districts have not yet ratified these policies, and those that have adopted them must provide feedback to schools. Fee-paying schools were also found to be screening parents' ability to pay, although only to advise them to apply for exemptions. 'PEDs must work with district policy and planning units to ensure that admission policies comply with the amended Act,' the department said. ALSO READ: 'Renewed energy': New NYDA CEO gets to work as youth joblessness hits crisis point Questionable admissions The DBE also raised concerns about disparities in classroom sizes, particularly where some schools use Afrikaans as a medium of instruction to maintain class sizes as low as 24 pupils, while others remain overcrowded. 'PEDs are to introduce parallel medium schools in order to balance learner numbers across districts,' it added. In Gauteng, two unisex hostel high schools were flagged for admitting pupils outside the official online application processes. These schools reportedly identify pupils ahead of the application period. 'The PED must clarify how admissions at all hostel schools are handled and provide clear timelines for placement applications,' the department said. NOW READ: Western Cape school principal gets job back after demotion over 'kwedini' remark to his deputy
IOL News
02-07-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
The GNU cracks are now a sinkhole… for the DA? ANC? Or both?
An AI image depicts President Cyril Ramaphosa and the DA's federal council chairperson Helen Zille, racing towards a sinkhole as the MK and EFF look on curiously. Image: SoraAI Somehow, President Cyril Ramaphosa's Cabinet of (in)Convenience with the Democratic Alliance made it to its one year anniversary about a fortnight ago. There was no confetti, nor were there any clumsy statements about the political leaders eating cake on behalf of the masses, to mark the 365 day mark, which was perhaps apt, since the achievements of the GNU thus far are imaginary at best. The African National Congress and the DA, as the two main parties in the GNU, have been squabbling since day one, forming bruising cracks on an already strained relationship between two historically ideologically opposed protagonists. The third largest political party in South Africa, former president Jacob Zuma's MK Party, has suffered its own squabbles as allegations of muthi, witchcraft and all manner of dark arts nonsense was revealed by Floyd Shivambu, who is about to announce his own political stokvel in the coming weeks in the guise of Mayibuye. But less about Zuma and Shivambu, imaginary intelligence reports which could best be described as Grade 5 creative writing projects, the subject here is the ANC and the DA. The ANC and the DA first fought about the number of ministers that would be assigned to the DA, then the allocation of ministers and the respective portfolios, battles that Ramaphosa and secretary general Fikile Mbalula clearly conquered. Since then, the ANC, against the support of the DA, has pushed on with implementing and signing into law the Basic Education Laws Amendment, Land Expropriation and the National Health Insurance acts. The DA has made threats to leave, repeatedly, and it is now evident they will not leave the GNU voluntarily. The GNU cracks have been widening since day one and the Andrew Whitfield fiasco, has both parties racing towards a sinkhole in a literal race to the bottom. At this point, the GNU cracks are no longer cracks, they now resemble the Lyttleton sinkhole which was shared on social media by traffic man Rob Byrne a few months ago. Some polls recently have suggested that the DA may surpass the ANC and become the most popular political party by the time we vote again for our next president. The accuracy of the data is of course questioned and questionable, but time and events will tell, if the GNU will sink the ANC, the DA or both, by the time we vote again for our next president. If the next four years are a story of a marriage of inconvenience and persistent jarring and sparring, the GNU could sink one of, or both, of South Africa's biggest political parties. At the same time, there is a mini implosion brewing at the MK Party too, with MK Party deputy president John Hlophe red carding spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhela from the whippery team, while there are also calls for the removal of chief whip Colleen Makhubele. To quote a South African media commentator: 'South Africa is a movie. Every day there is something new to be shocked about. Today we forgot about what shocked us last week.' Those of course, are the words of the former student activist Mcebo Dlamini. ** Sihle Mlambo is a content manager at IOL ** The views expressed herein are not necessarily those of IOL or Independent Media.
