Ramaphosa Vows to Implement New Education Law Despite Concerns Over Undermining Native Languages
© Photo X / @CyrilRamaphosa
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The Basic Education Laws Amendment Act, which seeks to amend certain sections of the South African Schools Act, was signed by the president on September 13, sparking three months of debate with the Democratic Alliance party, which claimed that two amendments, dealing with education language and school admissions process, were unconstitutional.
South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa reaffirmed that the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Act, aimed at creating a more effective and equitable education system in South Africa, will be implemented at all costs "to empower young people to prepare them for the world of work."
"We insist [...] the BELA Act is going to be implemented, whether people like it or not, it is going to happen," he said at the African National Congress's (ANC) presidential gala dinner, marking the 113th anniversary of the founding of the ruling party.
In September, after the BELA Act was signed into law by the president, two clauses in the act caused dissension in parliament, with the Democratic Alliance (DA) party members reportedly demanding that the bill be sent back to the parliament for a second debate, arguing that the introduction of the following amendments violated the constitutional rights of South Africans.
to enhance the authority of the Head of Department in relation to the admission of a learner to a public school, after consultation with the governing body of the school;
to provide that the South African Sign Language has the status of an official language for purposes of learning at a public school, and that the Head of Department may direct a public school to adopt more than one language of instruction, where it is practicable to do so, and that, if the Head of Department issues such a directive, he or she must take all necessary steps to ensure that the public school receives the necessary resources to enable it to provide adequate tuition in the additional language of instruction;
On December 20, after three months of negotiations, President Ramaphosa ordered the full implementation of the BELA Act with the two controversial amendments within three months, after a compromise was reached between the opposing parties to involve the minister of basic education from the DA party in drafting the controversial clauses of the act.
"The president's announcement on the implementation of the BELA Act makes it clear that the Minister of Basic Education, the DA's Siviwe Gwarube, is now tasked with developing regulations as well as norms and standards that will govern the act, including contentious sections around language and admissions," the DA said in a statement.
