Portfolio Committee Flags Delays and Gaps in BELA Act Implementation

Implementation Progress Stalled by Multiple Hurdles

Following a recent briefing by the Department of Basic Education (DBE), the portfolio committee highlighted numerous unresolved issues affecting the roll-out of the BELA Act. The Act, which makes Grade R compulsory and mandates changes to school admissions and language policies, has encountered delays attributed to a range of persistent obstacles. These include insufficient funding, infrastructure shortfalls, and the limited capacity of some provincial education departments to keep pace with new requirements.

Admission and Language Policy Reviews Remain Incomplete

An area of particular concern for the committee is the incomplete review process of school admission and language policies. The DBE briefing revealed that 11,715 admission-policy reviews and 11,657 language-policy reviews remain outstanding nationwide. The committee requested a detailed breakdown of affected schools and the specific reasons behind each delay, seeking to better understand the circumstances at the ground level.

Committee chair Joy Maimela noted the department’s progress but emphasised the large number of schools yet to align their policies with BELA requirements. She raised the risk that, unless updated, these policies could disadvantage parents applying for their children’s placement under outdated guidelines.

“We are not satisfied that there are still a considerable number of schools that have not finalised the process of reviewing their admission and language policies.”

In response, the committee has called for an actionable plan with clear and realistic timelines to resolve outstanding reviews and ensure all policies are consistent with the new legislation.

Broader Reforms: Codes of Conduct and Learner Rights

The committee also directed attention to necessary updates of school codes of conduct. Revisions must now reflect amendments to the South African Schools Act, with specific attention to matters such as hairstyles, religious expression, corporal punishment, and other student rights considerations. The committee rejected suggestions that such policy updates could remain open-ended.

“You cannot, therefore, suggest that the implementation of the amended provisions of the South African Schools Act should be an open-ended programme. That is not acceptable,” Maimela emphasised.

Grade R Rollout: Uneven Progress Across Provinces

Another focal point was the compulsory introduction of Grade R. Shortages in classrooms, practitioner qualifications, and inconsistencies in employment conditions were all flagged as areas needing urgent attention. The committee highlighted that provincial approaches differ:

• Seven provinces currently employ Grade R practitioners on stipends.
• Mpumalanga and North West hire practitioners as educators with salaries.
• Limpopo is the only province to formally include Grade R posts in its post-provisioning model.

The DBE is continuing its post-provisioning review, with a draft policy anticipated within the month. The long-term aim is to standardise and fully integrate Grade R posts into educator structures across all provinces.

Committee members questioned why such large inter-provincial disparities were allowed to develop, warning that a lack of cohesion could undermine national education goals.

Regulation Finalisation Lags Behind Expectations

Delays in finalising the regulations required to implement the BELA Act were the source of pointed criticism. Maimela expressed the committee’s dissatisfaction with the pace of progress and signaled that future departmental updates must demonstrate significant advancement:

“The pace is not satisfactory, and we are not happy with it. The department needs to improve. The next time we call the department to account for progress, we will expect the regulations to have been finalised.”

Charting the Road Ahead

With the 2027 school year on the horizon, the pressure is intensifying for the Department of Basic Education and provincial bodies to overcome persistent barriers to BELA Act implementation. Key priorities now include resolving outstanding admissions and language policy reviews, standardising Grade R roll-out, ensuring sufficient funding and capacity, and finalising all necessary regulations to guarantee that educational reforms are realised for all South African learners.

As progress is tracked, the portfolio committee remains vigilant in holding the department accountable for tangible results to support parents, students, and school communities amidst ongoing changes in the country’s education landscape.