The DA encourages all parents, teachers, school governing body (SGB) members, community members and education stakeholders to raise their concerns and objections at this weekend’s Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Bill public participation hearings in the Northern Cape (please see below for more information).
The past weekend’s public processes affirmed that the DA is one of the few parties that have the best interests of learners and communities at heart.
Western Cape communities made it plain that they reject the BELA Bill and all its attempts to centralise power, strip SGBs and schools of their powers to determine admission and language policies and thus endanger mother tongue education, and enforce homeschooling regulations without proper prior engagement with the sector.
The ANC government’s determination to push the BELA Bill through Parliament despite the legion of objections is very concerning, especially given the host of serious problems hampering the provision of quality education in the country.
Despite the fact that only 1 in 5 grade 4 learners can read for meaning in any language, the DA-run Western Cape is the only province with a budgeted reading and catch-up programme. Despite the danger it still holds for learners, the Western Cape is one of only two provinces that eradicated pit toilets at schools.
The DA implores the Northern Cape communities to join our fight against the draconian and unconstitutional BELA Bill.
| Northern Cape | ||||
| Date | Area | Local Municipality | Venue | Time |
| Friday, 2 June 2023 | Upington | Dawid Kruiper Local Municipality | Toll Speelman Community Hall, Upington | 14:00 – 18:00 |
| Saturday, 3 June 2023 | Kuruman | Ga-Segonyana Local Municipality | Wrenchville Civic Centre, Kuruman | 12:00 – 16:00 |
| Sunday, 4 June 2023 | Sol Plaatjie | Sol Plaatjie Local Municipality | Mayibuye Multipurpose Centre, Galeshewe | 12:00 – 16:00 |
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