By Edwin Naidu
Amid the political discord over the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Bill, there are growing concerns about the financial burden it may place on the government.
Whether the government can afford the R16 billion needed to implement just one of the clauses, which could radically transform the education landscape, is a pressing issue that cannot be ignored.
With Treasury cutbacks threatening teacher job cuts countrywide, Wayne Hugo, the University of Kwazulu-Natal’s (UKZN) Professor in the College of Humanities at the School of Education, told Inside Education that there was no clarity on where the R16 billion needed to implement just the Grade R aspect of the Bill would come from.
“The government has indicated that there will be a reallocation of resources, but there is no new money for this. We need Grade R, which will be good for the schooling system. The cheapest way to fix the schooling system is to do it early so by the time children are in Grade 3, they can read and be numerate, but there’s no money for it,” he said.
In March, during a Portfolio Committee meeting to discuss funding the BELA Bill, it emerged that the costs were misaligned, and there was ambiguity about the funding responsibilities shifting between the Department of Basic Education (DBE) and the National Treasury.
The BELA Bill seeks to amend the South African Schools Act to make school attendance compulsory from Grade R and no longer from Grade 1.
In addition, it amends the right of governing bodies to have the final say about school admissions and language policies. Key provisions include addressing school disruptions, regulating homeschooling and strengthening governance accountability.
Currently, Grade R is not part of the compulsory basic education mandate. This is managed by Early Childhood Development practitioners under the Education White Paper 5 of 2001. The Bill will change Grade R’s function and funding. The introduction of Grade R will also have a material impact on staffing and infrastructure provision.
Hugo added that the legislation brought much-needed tightening of regulations and clarity, such as the policy on corporal punishment. However, the greatest issue wasreducing the powers of School Governing Bodies.
The Democratic Alliance has raised several issues over the Bill, with Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube boycotting President Cyril Ramaphosa’s signing ceremony last Friday.
Civil society group AfriForum said Afrikaans schools nationwide were currently facing significant pressure from provincial officials to offer English instruction, which could ultimately lead to these schools becoming single-medium English institutions.
UKZN Professor Suriamurthee Maistry said as with any new legislation in a country with a diverse population like South Africa and given the unevenness of the country’s education landscape, contestation from those who felt that their powers were being eroded was expected.
“The decision to reduce the powers of the School Governing Bodies is arguably the most challenging issue at hand for the state. BELA now gives authority to the provincial heads of departments in important matters like learner admissions, school language policies, code of conduct and promotions.
“The language issue, namely the medium of instruction a school adopts, must now be sanctioned by the provincial HODs. In other words, schools cannot unilaterally decide on the medium of instruction. This clause is a direct response to the perception that some schools are using the language of instruction to exclude learners,” he said.
Education Professor Vimolan Mudaly said if it was implemented, the BELA Bill may make some positive changes as the idea was to force children to attend school and remain there, which was a “good thing for our children’s future”.
“It may impact parents’ pockets, but it certainly will mean more children will complete the 12 years of education than we have previously experienced. I’m also hopeful that language and admission policies will occur in a consultative process between the school and the Head of Department. This must not be a reason for any child to be excluded. The corporal punishment amendment is necessary, although this might also create some controversy,” Mudaly said.
“New policy like compulsory Grade R schooling is a noble initiative as it is likely better to prepare young children for entry into formal school. Having said this, this initiative needs to be backed up by appropriately qualified teachers, and classrooms and teaching resources must be available.
“We must also remember that Grade R or pre-school education has only been available to the privileged classes in SA thus far. Poor people can’t afford this. But if this becomes legislation, then I am hoping there will be sufficient political will and determination by the DBE to give effect to this development.”
Concerning resources, however, when discussing this earlier in the year before the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education, James Ndlebe, Chief Director of Education Management and Governance at the DBE, mooted the idea of a central procurement hub to allow the department to negotiate for goods and services.
He provided an example of procuring textbooks at a lower cost and suggested that central procurement would be beneficial if schools agreed to it.
Ndlebe acknowledged concerns about trust and proposed mechanisms for schools to opt-out if they found better deals elsewhere. He highlighted the need for transparency in demonstrating cost savings and clarified that central procurement would not override a school’s ability to negotiate locally.
Meanwhile, the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union and National Professional Teachers’ Organisation of South Africa have welcomed the Bill’s signing, agreeing that it will bring change to integrate, deracialise and democratise schools.
INSIDE EDUCATION
