Article by Hudaa Ahmed
Published by HappeningNews | 26 August 2026
BELA draft regulations could reshape how South African public schools are governed, affecting School Governing Body elections, additional payments to state-employed staff and the management of learner information.
Parents choose schools, manage the costs of education, attend meetings and place considerable trust in School Governing Bodies (SGBs) to represent the interests of their children and school communities.
For parents, this is far more than government paperwork. The proposals concern decisions and information linked directly to the schools their children attend every day.
Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube has published three sets of draft regulations and one related notice as part of the implementation of the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act, commonly known as the BELA Act.
These are proposals, not final rules. Parents and other South Africans still have an opportunity to support, challenge or suggest changes before they are finalised.
According to the Department of Basic Education, the proposals cover School Governing Body elections, additional payments to state-employed staff, standards for teacher-development facilities and a National Education Information System.
Government says the proposed school regulations will improve accountability, consistency and support across South Africa’s public education system. Critics fear they could give education departments more influence over decisions traditionally made by parents and school communities.
What changes for School Governing Bodies?
School Governing Bodies remain important structures within South Africa’s public-school system.
They have significant responsibilities relating to school governance and continue to play a role in areas such as school policies and finances.
The Equal Education Law Centre explains that the BELA Act does not remove all SGB authority. Governing bodies retain important powers, including developing admission and language policies. However, those policies must consider fairness, equality and the needs of the wider community.
Three different ways parents could vote
The BELA draft regulations introduce a new draft SGB election notice that outlines three voting methods. Schools may choose to conduct a traditional election meeting, offer voting over a specified day, or implement secure electronic voting if the necessary technology and safeguards are in place.
Electronic voting could make participation easier for parents who cannot leave work, arrange transport or step away from family responsibilities to attend one meeting. Proposed safeguards include voter verification, secret ballots and systems designed to prevent duplicate votes.
The regulations would also introduce national procedures covering nominations, voter eligibility, election officials, record-keeping and disputes.
Supporters may see this as protection against manipulation and dysfunctional school governance. Solidarity, however, argues that the proposals could create an increasingly centralised system and weaken the practical authority of parents and school communities.
The uncomfortable question is whether these national rules will protect parents, or slowly reduce governing bodies to rubber stamps with impressive meeting agendas.
Additional payments to teachers face tighter controls
Money is another pressure point.
The BELA draft regulations would tighten controls over additional payments made by SGBs to state-employed teachers and other qualifying employees. Informal payments would not be allowed without proper authorisation and oversight.
Daily Maverick reports that governing bodies would require formal policies, written approval and detailed records when paying employees for genuine additional work.
For families contributing school fees or fundraising money, stronger controls could offer protection against questionable spending. Schools may argue that too much paperwork could make it harder to reward staff members who take on responsibilities beyond their normal duties.
The proposed National Education Information System also deserves scrutiny. Government says reliable education data could reveal where teachers, classrooms, textbooks and other resources are most urgently needed.
That could improve planning. But parents are entitled to ask what information about their children will be collected, who will have access to it and what happens if security fails.
Public comment is still open
When a system contains information about children, “trust us” is not a privacy policy.
Parents, teachers, learners, SGBs, unions, civil society and faith-based organisations have been invited to comment by 23:59 on 5 September 2026.
The new BELA Act regulations have not yet been finalised. Parents still have a voice, but only if they use it.
The BELA debate is ultimately about more than legislation. It concerns the balance between national oversight, equal access to education, responsible governance and the ability of parents and local school communities to participate meaningfully in the running of their schools.
For parents who want a say in how that balance is struck, the public-comment period is the time to use it.
