The BELA act after 7 months
Today Marks the 7th Month since the BELA act was signed into law. While it makes education more inclusive, it has led to a bigger strain on the current resources allocated to schools in the country.
BELA Act After 7 months
Today marks the 7th month since the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Act was signed into law. The law which champions inclusivity, consequentially has further strained funds allocated in the education sector resulting in complications implementing the act.
The BELA act vs. State Funds
The impact of this collision is devastating on the ground with schools being understaffed and overwhelmed by large intakes of learners reducing the efficacy of the standard curriculum. Provinces like the Western Cape and Gauteng are currently bearing the brunt of the crisis. While national averages might look manageable on paper, the reality of these budget cuts is pushing daily classroom numbers well past 40 or 50 learners per teacher in our most affected public schools.
Pressures in High School
Educational strain is not distributed evenly across age groups. Data from the EMIS report indicates that secondary schools are carrying a substantially heavier learner load compared to primary schools, without a proportional increase in educator allocation. As learners progress into higher grades where specialized subjects require more focused instruction, the system stretches, leaving teachers to manage massively overcrowded classrooms during the most critical years of a studentâs academic journey.
Building the Solution Together
Legislation like the BELA Act sets the structural intention, but overcoming these deep-rooted disparities requires active, transparent intervention. We cannot wait for government budgets to align with the BELA acts targets. It is going to take a collective effort to push educational institutions forward and create the conditions needed for inclusivity.'
What's Next
To bridge these gaps, we have expanded our focus to connect under-resourced public schools with transparent, milestone-verified community funding. In the coming weeks, we will be rolling out targeted campaigns with our partner schools, to garner exposure so they can raise funds for projects to address their immediate education-related needs.
At Chelo we envision a world with equal, high-quality education for all. We support spirit of the BELA act to make education inclusive, and we are inspired to make sure the law doesn't remain abstract but materializes ASAP!
Join us
Whether youâre an alumnus, a donor, a teacher, or simply someone who believes in education â you belong in the Chelo community.