The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) notes with disappointment President Cyril Ramaphosa’s decision to delay the implementation of two clauses of the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Bill despite signing it into law.
This is an about turn that COSATU could not have foreseen given President Ramaphosa came out of his own accord on Wednesday and declared he would be signing the bill today.
COSATU, however, appreciates that the President has set a time limit of three months during which parties can engage further on the two clauses that pertain to school admissions and language policy. He made it clear that he did not expect the deliberations to be open-ended but wanted them finalised in three months. It is critical that any further proposals enhance the progressive objectives and clauses of the BELA Act. We would not countenance any weakening of this long overdue common-sense Act.
The Federation is willing to assist in any way it can to ensure the bill is implementable in its entirely in three months as it will assist members of our diligent Affiliate, the South African Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU), as they go about their daily duties.
In the meantime, COSATU welcomes the following implementable parts of the bill:
- Establishing Grade R as a required part of schooling for all learners. This will help lay a stronger foundation for learners entering Grade 1.
- Strengthening provisions requiring learners to attend school and holding parents accountable for their children’s attendance.
- Strengthening rules prohibiting drugs, alcohol and weapons from schools and empowering schools to search for and confiscate such items as needed.
- Banning corporal punishment and initiation practices from schools.
- Centralised procurement of key materials, e.g. textbooks, which can help save costs and reduce corruption.
- Making it easier for single parents to register their children at school when their ex-partners are absent.
- Measures to ensure financial accountability and prohibit officials from doing business with schools.
However, the Federation remains concerned about the Department of Basic Education’s over reliance on learner numbers as the criteria for closing or merging schools. We urge the department to consider pupils in farming and remote rural areas who live far from schools and include additional criteria such as the distance learners must travel to school and the availability of scholar transport when deciding.
COSATU also calls on the 7th Administration to extend compulsory school years from Grade 9 to 12 to ensure young people stay in school, TVET or vocational colleges to improve their chances of securing employment after they leave school.
Issued by COSATU
Zanele Sabela(COSATU National Spokesperson)
Mobile: 079 287 5788 / 077 600 6639
Email: zanele@cosatu.org.za
Or
Matthew Parks(COSATU Parliamentary Coordinator)
Cell: 082 785 0687
Email: matthew@cosatu.org.za