Committee concerned about misleading statements bout adopted amendments in Basic Education Laws Bill
14 September 2023
The Portfolio Committee on Basic Education has noted the confusing and misleading information conveyed to the public regarding the adoption this week of the A-list of the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Bill.
The Chairperson of the committee, Ms Bongiwe Mbinqo-Gigaba, emphasised that the majority of members of the committee agreed that much debated clause regarding language policy – that the governing body must submit the language policy of a public school and any amendment thereof to the Heads of Departments for approval – should remain. The language policy must also take into consideration the language needs of the broader community.
Another clause that seems to have been misconstrued from this week’s meeting relates to the admissions policy. Ms Binqo-Gigaba confirmed that the committee adopted the proposed amendment that the Heads of Departments, after consultation with the governing body of the school, has the final authority to admit a learner to a public school.