The BELA Act is a legislative proposal in South Africa, aiming to amend the South African Schools Act. The amendments include: school governing bodies requiring provincial government approval for language policies, provincial education departments may have greater control over school admission policies, more stringent regulation of homeschooling, requiring registration and compliance with specific curriculum standards, raising the age of compulsory education to Grade 9 or 15 years, whichever comes first. Parents who do not follow the compulsory education policy may be subject to criminal charges.