PHOTO: NEDLAC
The contentious sections in the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Bill will no longer be implemented on 13 December 2024.
This comes after the Solidarity Movement, with Solidarity and AfriForum counting among its institutions, reached a settlement with the government at the National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac) over the BELA dispute.
The parties to the dispute at Nedlac were Solidarity, the Presidency and the Minister of Basic Education.
Nedlac on Thursday confirmed that the dispute has been resolved.
According to a joint media statement, “norms and standards and national policies and regulations must first be developed which will, among other things, determine that schools which are running at their full capacity may not receive instructions to change their language and admission policy.
“With regard to language and admission policy, the school’s immediate environment and/or its feeding zone, and not the larger education district, must be taken into account.”
It is also stated that the execution of the recommendations does not exclude the possibility that there may be a need for future legislative amendments to Section 4/ and or 5 of the BELA Act.
This will all form part of a process in which the Minister of Basic Education, Siviwe Gwarube, will make comprehensive recommendations to President Cyril Ramaphosa for his due consideration.
However, this settlement does not affect the process of the Government of National Unity (GNU) or any other processes regarding BELA.
The Solidarity Movement will, however, present the outcome of the settlement to the GNU.
'MOTHER-TONGUE EDUCATION'
The settlement is supported by the Solidarity Movement, AfriForum, the Solidarity Support Centre for Schools and the Afrikaanse Onderwysnetwerk.
According to Flip Buys, Chairperson of the Solidarity Movement, the settlement is the outcome of various processes.
This included talks with President Cyril Ramaphosa, negotiations with political parties, including the ANC, the DA and the FF+, the big march from the Voortrekker Monument to Freedom Park, talks with traditional leaders, a process at PanSAT and the Nedlac process.
Dr Dirk Hermann, Solidarity’s chief executive, says that although the settlement is a major breakthrough, further hard work still lies ahead.
“The important breakthrough is that we now again have time on our side where Afrikaans schools that are full to capacity will not receive instructions about language and admission.
“During this period there will be tough talks about norms and standards and Solidarity will also propose possible legislative amendments. Schools do not have to let themselves be bullied by officials,” he said.
Added AfriForum’s chief executive, Kallie Kriel: “The BELA struggle has been the most important battle AfriForum has been involved in since its establishment.
“BELA’s provisions on the language policy of schools, if implemented, posed a serious threat to the survival of Afrikaans cultural communities.
“It is not only Afrikaans schools and children who would be targeted by its implementation, but also the pursuit of mother-tongue education for all cultural communities.
“We have already had several discussions with traditional leaders, and it is clear that they share the aspiration that children receive mother-tongue education in their respective communities. We can only thank everyone who supported the campaign against BELA. The public’s overwhelming support and the fact that thousands of people participated in the march against BELA were the deciding factor.”
