Under the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA), they could be jailed for up to 12
months if their children are truant, or if they are not enrolled when they reach school
age. BELA also introduces a ban on corporal punishment in all schools.
The governing party, the African National Congress (ANC), says the bill, which is the
biggest education overhaul since the end of apartheid in 1994, will “transform our
education system, to address historical and present challenges”.
However, the biggest opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), has condemned it,
saying it gives the state too much control over schools and will lead to the collapse of
education.