Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga / Photo: GCIS
Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga / Photo: GCIS
Changes to the South African Schools Act that will soon be submitted for public comment will see parents that deny their children the opportunity to begin their schooling from Grade R liable for prosecution. Children were previously required to begin their schooling from Grade 1.
The amendment bill contains the prescription that anyone who denies a child from attending school without just cause, including parents, schools or governing bodies, facing a possible fine and/or imprisonment.
In addition to parents facing punitive recourse for children failing to receive Grade R education, the Bill also proposes that principals and governing bodies be held accountable for non-attendance.
Grade R schooling set to be made compulsory
Education Minister Angie Motshekga published an outline of the Amendment Bill, which is yet to be published for public scrutiny. She said that should parents be found guilty of denying children access to grade R schooling without just cause, they may be liable to serve 12-months behind bars.
Motshekga said that is will become compulsory that children aged who turn five-years-old by 30 June 2022 be enrolled for Grade R in public schools.
She noted that this measure isn’t going to come cheap, with the appointment of additional teachers and upgrades to existing school facilities set to cost around R5.26 billion.
She said that the Department of Basic Education predicts that 7 888 schools will be required to accommodate the influx of new enrolments for the Grade R classrooms at a cost of R12 billion.
What other changes are being introduced?
Also proposed in the Amendment Bill is the provision for heads of department to direct a public school to provide education to its students in more than one language “where it is practical to do so”.
The bill also states that all schools’ code of conduct must accommodate the diverse cultural beliefs, religious observances and medical circumstances of pupils at the school.
An exemption clause has also been introduced stipulating that disciplinary proceedings must be dealt with “in an age-appropriate manner and in the best interests of the pupil”.
