President Cyril Ramaphosa has signed the Basic Education Law Amendment bill into law after a consultation period of three months. The Government of National Unity clearing house sent a report to the Presidency stating that members of the GNU did not want the Bill to return to Parliament and it had found a concensus that the Act should be in operation. The Democratic Alliance and trade union Solidariteit raised their discontent over violation of rights of learners in clause 4 and 5. The Act presents changes in clause 4 on the powers of the Department of Basic Education when it comes to admission policy and section 5 speaks to the role of School Governing Bodies by setting a new requirement to submit language policy to the provincial department of Basic Education for approval.

The Act also sets Grade R as the compulsory school going age and formally incorporates early childhood development into the system. With the change in compulsory school-going age, parents may face up to 12 months in prison for not placing their children in school. Minister of Basic Education, Siviwe Gwarube has tasked her team in National and provincial government to develop guidelines that will be shared with public schools by the end of January 2025. The Director-General has been tasked to build  draft regulations, norms and standards by June 2025. To get reflection on the President's  proclamation and how it will impact the start of the 2025 academic year, we are joined by...

 Guest: Mugwena Maluleke - General Secretary oder the South African Democratic Teachers Union 

Guest: Matakanye Matakanye - Chairperson of the National Association of School Governing Bodies

Guest: Prof. Mary Metcalfe - Professor of Education and Practice at the University of Johannesburg