The Trust is not an authority on homeschooling like the DBE or PEDs are. They are also not the general representation of all home schoolers. The Pestalozzi is a subscription based legal defense fund. They are not like a union or umbrella organisation. Parents need to wake up to the FACT that there is no one that can fight this battle for them. We HAVE to stand up for ourselves, and in doing that, we can merely lean on and get help and support from organisations like this. For too long, parents have been lulled into a fake sense of security by being members of clubs, associations and the trust. We, the parents, are the authority on the education of our own children. If we do not take ownership of this movement, we are going to lose more than the option to apply to homeschool.

Get Liberty Fighters Network involved because they recently got from the AU a verdict that can challenge the constitution with constitutional court.

People shouldn't just accept this. This is not a triumph.

Thank you. Very informative.

This needs a political solution. Politicians makes the laws. Courts enforce them. The focus here is completely wrong. Our constitution is what is driving the BELA Bill. It is not unconstitutional as many people think. Our constitution gives the state the right to override the parents rights if they deem necessary.This is the bottom line. We need to change the constitution. This will get much worse before it gets better and you will have to all get involved in creating a political solution to the problem else we are just slaves to the courts. Now it is KZN and soon it will be the other provinces. Know what is actually going on. Ministers change and interpretations change. Do not be placated by the province you live in being easy for homeschooling. That will change fatsre than you can imagine. There is an international agenda at play here.

I just want to say that this team is absolutely amazing. Always assisting and helping. I am talking from first-hand experience❤ thank you team

This has been very informative… thank you 🙏🏻

So how long before parents will be considered to not be qualified to raise their children??? The officials are not qualified to tell us how to raise our children

Thank you so much

Thank you for this!

The KZN Department of Education are not willing to make the effort to educate themselves about the variety of methodologies of education, they are forcing a School AT Home approach. We need to stand together and fight back, not only home educators in KZN but every single home educator in the country.

Thank you to the KZN JLC for updating all of us about the developments. We pray for solutions and stand in solidarity with all those in KZN.

KZN probably the worst run province in RSA, so that is no surprise.

Where is Karin of the Pestalozzi? Why is Learn Free talking on behalf of the Pestalozzi on what the Pestalozzi Trust's position is? This makes one feel more uneasy as a different organization is speaking on behalf of the Pestalozzi and we hear nothing from Karin herself on where the Pestalozzi stands.

Homeschooling changed drastically in terms of its social structure and ethos during covid lock downs, and this severely diluted the cohort of activism for Traditional Homeschooling, which in turn empowered the DBE to act on many of the threats they have made internally to the sector over the years, and which the trust had said they would fight, and which we predicted might not be possible should circumstances change. Now, how can conditions have changed if the BELA-BILL was not even legitimately passed? You need to chose a point and stick with it, or at least speak in full sentences to complete the ideas you bring up, even if it is BS! For instance, phase assessments have always been a requirement and the legal opinion of homeschooling parents who practice law have pointed this out to the sector since before 2019. We were told as members prior to 2018 that the Trust would go to court over the policy on home education if it were implemented because of the legal technicality of chronological sequence of making regulations prior to acts (the cart before the horse scenario). It did not happen. We were told the trust would take the act to concourt should it be passed. We are stiĺl waiting. We now have that policy in the form of a clause in an act, as was predicted. Until we have a definitive public statement from the government about the possible illegitimacy of the Act Amendments, this is hot air, spoken in unfinished sentences. We have zero confirmation that BELA was illegitimately gazetted even though we hope and pray this is true. This word salad of self soothing sycophantic dodgeball (sepatate from reality) made me feel sick to my stomach after all these years, and makes homeschoolers look like weirdos and freaks. To anyone listening to this crap, please know that the organisations linked to the Pestalozzi Trust do not speak on behalf of the entire sector and do not represent the role players or stakeholders despite the efforts of the DBE to allow only their warped perspectives. (For obvious reasons) Apparently homeschoolers may not speak up for themselves and directly with the government, unless they register NPOs and formal Associations. As a public cohort who wish to engage, we have been silenced. The Pestalozzi Trust doesn't speak for anyone other than their fully paid up membership base, and even then they aren't always reliable. According to reports from their members last week, they currently don't even have a working phone line. FFS! Rocky Road is the name of an ice cream and doesn't even begin to describe the colossal balls-up and confusion the trust has caused in the last 10 years. The Trust does not fight for homeschooling freedoms in general. They only represent their members and call on the greater community each time they need a braoder reach or more money. IF the trust follow-through of litigious action actually happens, we will donate, but not until then. Please, do the doing now, and stop the lip service. 🙏

Thank you. So thoroughly explained and helpful. Appreciate all the effort put into this proposal.

Thank you so much - we appreciate the work of the Pestalozzi Trust

1:02:23 Chair mentions international law treaties that SA has signed to ensure educational rights. Very concerned by the fact that speakers were divided on racial lines. Says the hearings did not reflect the “rainbow nation” but us and them. All amendments will be captured as they have been made.

58:15 FACT CHECK: Legal official states they do not have 9000 abortions in Mpumalanga by school girls. The Speaker who said this did not say there were 9000 abortions but could be under BELA Bill. Official says the Bill states that Bill “speaks about that when a child is pregnant a child must never be told she must stay at home, that is what the BELA Bill says” and goes on to set out procedures surrounding learner pregnancy. This misrepresents the Bill which merely sets out that the Minister will make regulations. If he is quoting the Policy on the Management of Learner Pregnancy then he is agreeing with the ACDP who argue that this is the policy that will be turned into regulations.

42:02 Louise, Opposes BELA Bill - Argues that it doesn’t address problems in education system. Online and hybrid education should be included. Opposed to closure of Small Schools. Wants new definition of homeschooling and Freedom if Curriculum and Assessment #FOCA for homeschoolers.

39:07 Ex-ANC member opposed to Bill. Bill should support independent education including homeschooling and small schools. Says parents should have say in education of children.

16:49 Opposed to BELA Bill on religious grounds.

15:05 ACDP - Opposed to Small School closures. Views of Children must be heard.

21:46 I agree 100% The national reading crisis is motivation for parents to seek alternative education that is in the best interests of their children.

20:13) It is such a pity that translation was not available - as members of the public one can see that the persons attending the Mapumalanga Provincial Legislature Hearings really have interesting points of view and that they care about the schools in their community. All South Africans should be able to have access to his point of view.

18:30) The BELA-BILL discriminates against small independent schools - these fulfill an important role in rural communities in which children would otherwise be forced to travel long distances to attend the nearest school.

10:30 "educators & learners cannot take part in the process because they are busy writing their final exams for the year which is unfair. "

8:36 ACDP member Opposes Clause 39. Highlights DBE Policy on the Management of Learner pregnancy. Calls this a Schools Abortion Bill.

5:09 Opposed to Clause 39 - Abortion as part of Learner Pregnancy Management. Opposes Clause 25 - Closure of public Micro-schools without reasons. Opposes Clause 35 - Calls for easier registration for small independent schools, inclusion of hybrid, online education.

6:04) Yes! Please all South Africans - read & understand the BELA-BILL. We cannot be supporting a document that is not in the BEST INTERESTS of all South African children.

3:06) The speaker is raising a very important point that the education budget needs to be realistic and take into account the DBE's responsibility to make reasonable and rational decision taking all measures to assist learners with no ID's.

‘In consultation with’, Opposes HOD having final say @1:49 Opposes homeschoolers having to use a curriculum comparable to CAPS and being assessed against it. Freedom of Curriculum and Assessment #FOCA and calls for all regulations Clause 35 S51(16) and Clause 39 to be written ‘in consultation with’ parents.

Home education and conventional education can’t be regulated under the same framework. @29:37 BELABill doesn’t reflect the true nature of homeschooling. Calls for Govt. to invest in homeschooling.

Best Interests of the Child & All Regulations should be “in consultation with” @26:50 Homeschoolers calls for Clause 35 S52(16) and Clause 39 should be written ‘in consultation with’ parents. Criteria for Best Interests of the Child need to be included in the Bill.

@24:24 Homeschooler argues excessive regulation of homeschoolers will force homeschoolers into schooling system and will cause wasteful expenditure money on the administration of homeschooling. Calls for Regulations Clause 35 Section 51(16) to be developed “in consultation with” homeschoolers.

@21:17 Homeschooler, says Bill is not written in Best Interests the Child. Opposes closure of public micro schools. Says Socio-Economic Assessment is not based on research.

@16:30 Homeschooler calls for trusting parents to choose the curriculum best for their children. Freedom of curriculum and Assessment #FOCA Calls for public micro-schools to not be closed #Savemicro schools.

@5:17 Homeschooler Piet Roux argues that while Homeschooling is not being made illegal he argues that the right to choose is being taken away as the Minister makes a decision. Calls for Clause 34 to be abandoned, new framework incl. hybrid and online. Calls for regulations in terms of Clause 35: Section 51(16) must be “in consultation with” homeschoolers.

Thanks for arranging this! Really important to share

Where are the school going public?

@00:10 School-drop out and Birth Certificates: Over 50% learners in local schools don’t have birth certificates some have to go back to grade 10 while waiting for birth certificates to write Matric.Many drop out.

Pity that the school going public is unaware of the importance of these hearings

@1:01:45 Pastor against Clause39 #BELABill. Argues 17 year old can’t legal drive by themselves but 12 year old can decide on abortion.

First homeschooler @54:10 Riana, Chairperson of the Mpumalanga. Passionate speech on abortion, CSE, opposes 12 month penalty and calling for Freedom of Curriculum and Assessment.

Thank you! Pestalozzi Trust!

Die impak van Bela Bill is groter as net tuisleer. Dit voel vir my tuisleer is 'n punt, 'n sekie (redelike groot seksie en fokus punt) van die Bela Bill. Maar die impak is unorm. Net bloot deur die eerste 6min se inleiding verduidelik u dit is die verandering van' basic education' regoor die land. Om die waardes en strategie van die huidige regering te dryf en met die doel dat die huidige regering aan bewind bly. Elke persoon in die land, met of sonder kinders moet eintlik kommentaar teen hierdie Bill gee, want dit gaan generasies vorentoe se skool en leerprogramme beïnvloed.