Homeschooling parents in Mpumalanga are demanding that a contentious clause in the Basic Education Laws Amendment (Bela) Bill, which proposes they register their children for home education, be scrapped.
This was the overwhelming view of a section of parents who attended public hearings on the Bela bill in the Bushbuckridge, Kanyamazane and Govan Mbeki municipalities on March 17 and 18 and May 8.
A total of 1,690 participants, including representatives from political parties, teacher unions, pupil formations and the religious sector, attended the hearings.
At least 157 oral presentations and 814 written submissions were made, according to a detailed report that was considered and adopted by the portfolio committee on basic education on Tuesday.
Some of the proposed amendments to the bill included:
- making grade R the new compulsory school starting age;
- criminalising parents who don’t ensure their children are in school;
- holding governing bodies accountable for financial interests;
- giving government department heads power over language policies and curricula; and
- prohibiting educators from conducting business with the state.
The report stated that 59% of those who commented on the bill at the hearings supported it while 29% rejected. A further 9% were partial to it and 3% did not declare their views.
Eight of the proposed amendments were supported while 12 were not.
Speakers commented on several of the proposed clauses, with some saying that undocumented pupils should be admitted to school as “it’s hurting to see children in the street not going to school because their parents are not documented”.
Another said: “Public schools have a tendency to not admit pupils because cannot afford the school fees.”
Others said that governing bodies should be paid for their role in supporting schools and that the education department should come up with clear alternatives to corporal punishment “because pupil discipline is out of hand”.
One said: “Governing bodies are using Afrikaans to discriminate against other races, even if the majority of pupils of the school are of other races.”
The head of department of a provincial education department is not in same position as parents to determine the best interest of the learner pupil.
— Bela bill hearing participant
Some of the common issues that emerged from the hearings in all three municipalities were around compulsory attendance, corporal punishment and the proposed clause extending the powers of the minister to make regulations on the management of pupil pregnancy.
According to the report, there was opposition to a proposed clause to increase the penalty provision from six to 12 months for parents and guardians found guilty of not sending their children to school.
“Those in support of the clause were of the view that the clause was ‘proper and adequate’ as a deterrent to such acts of criminality.”
But the issue that got many speakers hot under the collar was what they believed to be the over-regulation of home education.
The report stated that a woman told the hearing that the head of department of a provincial education department “is not in same position as parents to determine the best interest of the learner pupil”.
“Parents understand their child’s strengths and weaknesses and are responsible for their children’s education.”
Another parent said her child was expelled from a school and became depressed.
“The learner’s challenges with anxiety and depression had decreased due to home schooling and the learner now loves schooling.”
A homeschooling parent rejected the proposal that pupils be subjected to external assessments, because they are impractical.
Another said children who received good life skills from parents “always succeeded” and that the bill would remove their rights to educate their own children.
“The clause needs to be removed and replaced with one that protects parents’ rights to choose a curriculum. Parents should have the freedom of conscience and the right to opt out of comprehensive sexuality education (CSE).”
Another parent said that God gave parents the right “to rear and teach their children and the state should not usurp the authority of parents”.
“The bill goes against what the Lord says and subjects parents to request permission to homeschool their children.”
The chairperson of the portfolio committee on basic education, Bongiwe Mbinqo-Gigaba, said attending the hearings “was a good learning curve on a personal level”.
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