20 June 2025
The Foundation for Rights of Expression and Equality (Free SA) has welcomed the Department of Basic Education’s newly published BELA implementation guidelines, which rightfully affirm the power of school governing bodies (SGBs) to determine their own language and admissions policies within a constitutional framework.
Free SA strongly supports efforts that place meaningful decision-making power in the hands of communities. This is not simply a matter of policy, it is a matter of principle. South Africa’s education system must serve the diverse needs of its people, not be beholden to distant bureaucracies or political interests.
“Attempts to delegitimise these guidelines are thinly veiled efforts to concentrate power in the hands of officials far removed from the realities of everyday South African families,” said Reuben Coetzer, spokesperson for Free SA. “What some organisations are advocating for is not education reform, but education centralisation. That is a recipe for unaccountability, inefficiency, and deepening inequality.”
While some interest groups have dismissed the guidelines as “unlawful,” Free SA notes that they are perfectly lawful, and entirely in line with the minister’s duties, reflecting the very intent of our democratic framework: to empower local communities through decentralisation and meaningful participation.
South Africa’s Constitution does not envision a one-size-fits-all model. Local school communities, in partnership with parents, teachers, and learners, are best placed to decide how their schools should function. Whether it concerns the language of instruction, the admissions process, or the culture of the school, these decisions belong with those who live with their consequences, not distant officials or politically aligned lobby groups.
“It is ironic,” added Coetzer, “that the same voices who speak of transformation now seek to disempower grassroots governance structures in favour of bureaucratic fiat. That is not transformation – it is regression.”
Free SA calls on all education stakeholders, civil society groups, and citizens to resist efforts that erode local autonomy under the guise of compliance. Democracy flourishes where decisions are made close to the people. South Africa’s future depends on empowered communities, not expanded bureaucracy.
ENDS
Media enquiries:
Anneke Burns
Free SA Publicist
071 423 0079
media@freesa.org.za
About FREE SA:
At the Foundation for Rights of Expression and Equality (Free SA), we are committed to empowering South Africans to have their voices heard. In a true democracy, every opinion counts, and we ensure your voice resonates where it matters most: in Parliament, in public policy, and in the laws that shape our country. From advocating for democracy and equality to holding the government to account, we stand with you to demand transparent, responsive, and fair governance that serves its people.
To learn more, visit: https://www.freesa.org.za
[Issued by abpr on behalf of Free SA]
Kind Regards,
AB