Public input on the Basic Education Laws Amendment Bill (also known as the BELA Bill) in its current form has been a contentious one.The Bill seeks to, among other things, make Grade R compulsory, abolish corporal punishment, create financial and accountability frameworks for governing bodies and provincial departments, and give the government control over the admission and language policies of schools.Despite still not being signed into law by President Ramaphosa, the BELA bill has already faced widespread criticism from opposition political parties and civic groups. The 2023 BELA has since been handed over to the NCOP who will be holding their own public engagement processes on the recent iteration of the BELA.Dr Lydia-Anne Plaatjies, Director of Active Citizenship, joins us on the line now