I’m involved in an NPO that provides free ECD Centre services to the poorest of the poor - the people who are only living on Grants.
The Department of Basic Education held a meeting with schools and various stakeholders. They elaborated on the latest legislation known as the BELA Bill. The following was emphasised regarding school attendance:
- Grade R is now compulsory – All children aged 4 turning 5 before 30 June must be enrolled in a school.
- School attendance is compulsory until age 16.
- If a learner is absent for 3 consecutive days without the school being informed, the school is required to follow up within 24 hours.
- Parents who keep learners at home without a valid reason, or fail to enrol a school-aged child, will face penalties.
- If convicted, a parent may face a fine, imprisonment (of up to 12 months), or both.
It is now a legal requirement that every child should be in school from the age of 4 and that school attendance should be consistent.
- There is also a requirement that all grade R teachers have a teaching degree.
These requirements have some massive implications:
- There are not enough ECD Centres in the poor communities to accommodate such a lot of new pupils.
- A lot of the ECD educators does not meet the new requirement to have a teaching degree.
- That requirement means that the costs to NPOs involved in this arena will sky rocket due to an increase in salaries.
- What is the Department doing to help existing ECD Centres to comply with the new requirements.
- And will the Department financially support those ECD Centres that provide services to poor communities.
This is a good idea, being implemented without thinking through the consequences of the idea.