After the D version of the amended Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Bill was passed by the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) on Tuesday, it was tabled to the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education yesterday. And this morning, the National Assembly (NA) passed it.
This concludes the parliamentary phase of the battle against this Bill at the eleventh hour before Parliament wraps up its business ahead of the elections. Now a legal battle is the only available course of action.
Although the Bill was met with vehement opposition and rejection in the public participation process, the ANC decided to push it through.
During the debate, the FF Plus referred to section 235 of the Constitution which guarantees linguistic and cultural communities’ right to self-determination. That includes schools.
If the President signs this law, a full-blown legal battle will ensue. The poor consideration of public participation and certain flawed aspects of the Bill itself will most probably be challenged in the Constitutional Court.
And if government does start implementing the law, an exodus from public schools will soon follow. It will serve as yet another sign of state decline.
Consequently, independent and home-schools could grow rapidly as parents follow the FF Plus’s advice and start choosing freedom.
;
