The African National Congress (ANC) and Democratic Alliance (DA) are currently debating South Africa’s school language policies.
This disagreement centers on the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Act, which could change who decides language and admission policies in schools.
DA in Gauteng stated that, the BELA Act will limit the ability of school governing bodies to make key choices about languages and admissions. They argue that every child should have the right to learn in their mother tongue.
On the other side, Panyaza Lesufi, ANC leader in Gauteng, responded by stating that South African children, no matter their race or language, should be able to attend the same schools to build a non-racial society.
He emphasized that the doors of learning and culture should be open to everyone.
This BELA issue has sparked a national conversation about balancing language rights with the goal of unity in education.
