The ACDP welcomes delay of the Basic Education Laws Amendment Bill (BELA-Bill) vote

VAAL TRIANGLE - The ACDP says the Basic Education Laws Amendment Bill, or BELA Bill, is a flawed piece of legislation that threatens to destroy the country’s education system. The National Council of Provinces was unable to vote on the bill yesterday, due to a technicality. The bill amends sections of the South African Schools Act of 1996 to respond to school administrative and governance problems. It seeks to transfer more power to the provincial education departments to regulate school language policies, curriculum and homeschooling, among other things.

The ACDP says throughout the process of this bill, several errors have been made in procedure, yet the ANC has chosen to ignore the many concerns. ACDP leader, Kenneth Meshoe, who led a protest outside the education department's Johannesburg offices, said the bill could not be passed in its current state. Meshoe said the committee deliberately ignored what the parents have said. He said parents are not happy with the bill, they want their choice of school for their children to be with them and not government.

PHOTO: (ACDP)