This week, the DBE and the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education held clause-by-clause deliberations on the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Bill during a physical session in Parliament, Cape Town. Mr James Ndlebe, Chief Director for Planning and Implementation Support delivered a presentation on the financial implications of the BELA Bill for discussion on 15 August 2023. The BELA Bill proposes amendments to the SASA and the EEA.

“In respect of section 3(1) of the SASA, the BELA Bill proposes that school attendance is made compulsory from Grade R, and no longer only from Grade 1. The provisioning of Grade R is currently not part of the compulsory basic education mandate, and is managed within the broader context of Early Childhood Development (ECD) as regulated by the Education White Paper 5 of 2001. The implementation of this amendment will impact on the provisioning of Grade R in terms of staffing and infrastructure provision,” Mr Ndlebe explained.

Departments are expected to complete Socio-Economic Impact Assessment System (SEIAS) reports before legislation is submitted for approval. The Presidency has approved the SEIAS on the BELA Bill, which in the main includes the required infrastructure and staffing needs for schools to introduce Grade R. The approval is an indication of Government’s commitment to funding the implementation of the legislation when approved.

Currently, provinces provide Grade R classes based on available resources, and there is a significant gap in remuneration between the Grade R educators/practitioners and mainstream educators. Once Grade R becomes compulsory, schools will have to accommodate all learners that apply for admission, increasing the number of enrolments. In addition, there are primary schools that do not offer Grade R classes. The equalisation of the conditions of service will have financial implications. It is expected that the enrolment of Grade R learners will increase, as well as the need to appoint additional educators. The general practice in the sector is that Grade R is funded at 70% of the funding provided for mainstream education. This limited funding is also reflected in the conditions of service of Grade R educators/practitioners and in their remuneration. Their conditions of service, including their appointments, are primarily not legislated by the EEA. Currently, the majority of Grade R teachers/practitioners are paid a monthly stipend. This applies to both those that are qualified as educators and those with lower qualifications or practitioner certificates.

The funding of educator remuneration varies across provinces in three forms: the payment of stipends; a combination of payment of stipends to practitioners and full salaries; and the payment of full salaries. The necessary calculations have been completed in respect of the number of teachers required, learners expected to be enrolled and the number of classes required.