Comment on the Basic Education Laws Amendment Bill

The overriding reaction of the average reader to the contents of the Bill, and responses to it, is that many of the proposed provisions are considered necessary as corrective action for poor past administration. To suggest that school governing bodies, after the passage of years, should produce audit certificates to justify expenditure is ludicrous. Had the schools been under private administration this would have been standard practice from the outset. And implementing harsh requirements in respect of home-schooling and attendance from Grade-R makes no sense when the education department is already under pressure.