Although the minister of Basic Education claims that no constitutional issues were raised on the BELA Act, the enactment of the act is likely to spark conflict between homeschooling families and the state, a concern explicitly identified in the  Socio Economic Impact Assessment (SEIA) done for the Bill. The SEIA notes: "Home schooling parents and organisations are dissatisfied with the requirement that they must register their children for home education and...

In 2017, the Department of Basic Education (DBE) found itself facing an "avalanche" of public comments on the controversial BELA Bill. As Director General Mr. Mweli revealed this overwhelming response to the parliamentary committee, Mr. I Ollis (DA) was quick to point out the root cause: the bill's blatant interference with parents' democratic rights. Despite the flood of feedback, the DBE showed no intention of amending the draft bill. Instead, Mr....