The Department of Basic Education (DBE) Minister Angie Motshekga, had published proposed changes to school laws by amending the South African schools Act and the Employment of Educators Act, aligning both acts to the developments in Basic Education.
This was followed by the department providing individuals, organisations and the rest of the public in disclosing their viewpoint to these changes.
In an interview, the chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education, Bongiwe Mbinqo-Gigaba said:
The process regarding submissions is going well.
Oral submissions have not yet been concluded as some organisations are in support of the BELA Bill, on the other hand, some organisations have called for some parts of this document to be amended.
The Portfolio Committee on Basic Education’s Content Advisor, Portia Mbude-Mutshekwane, reiterated that some stakeholders are indeed dissatisfied with this Bill.
According to Mbude-Mutshekwane, the Committee received comments from civil society groups, legal advisors, parents' associations, education trade unions and community-based structures.
Mbinqo-Gigaba said there are still other processes that need to unfold before presenting the BELA Bill to Parliament.
The Portfolio Committee plans to select three provinces in the first quarter of 2023, to conduct public hearings and see how the public responds thereafter.
Whatever information and/or comments that will be collected by the Portfolio Committee, will be presented to Parliament, either for adoption or rejection.
