The policy contemplated in section 3 shall be directed toward—
| (a) | the advancement and protection of the fundamental rights of every person guaranteed in terms of Chapter 2 of the Constitution, and in terms of international conventions ratified by Parliament, and in particular the right— |
| (ii) | of every person to basic education and equal access to education institutions; |
| (iii) | of a parent or guardian in respect of the education of his or her child or ward; |
| (iv) | of every child in respect of his or her education; |
| (v) | of every learner to be instructed in the language of his or her choice where this is reasonably practicable; |
[Section 4(a)(v) substituted by section 3(a) of Act No. 15 of 2011]
| (vi) | of every person to the freedoms of conscience, religion, thought, belief, opinion, expression and association within education institutions; |
| (vii) | of every person to establish, where practicable, education institutions based on a common language, culture or religion, as long as there is no discrimination on the ground of race; |
| (viii) | of every person to use the language and participate in the cultural life of his or her choice within an education institution; |
[Section 4(a)(viii) substituted by section 12 of Act No. 100 of 1997]
| (b) | enabling the education system to contribute to the full personal development of each learner, and to the moral, social, cultural, political and economic development of the nation at large, including the advancement of democracy, human rights and the peaceful resolution of disputes; |
[Section 4(b) substituted by section 3(b) of Act No. 15 of 2011]
| (c) | achieving equitable education opportunities and the redress of past inequality in education provision, including the promotion of gender equality and the advancement of the status of women; |
| (d) | endeavouring to ensure that no person is denied the opportunity to receive an education to the maximum of his or her ability as a result of physical disability; |
| (e) | providing opportunities for and encouraging lifelong learning; |
| (f) | achieving an integrated approach to education and training within a national qualifications framework; |
| (g) | cultivating skills, disciplines and capacities necessary for reconstruction and development; |
| (h) | recognising the aptitudes, abilities, interests, prior knowledge and experience of students; |
| (i) | encouraging independent and critical thought; |
| (j) | promoting a culture of respect for teaching and learning in education institutions; |
| (k) | promoting enquiry, research and the advancement of knowledge; |
| (l) | enhancing the quality of education and educational innovation through systematic research and development on education, monitoring and evaluating education provision and performance, and training educators and education managers; |
| (m) | ensuring broad public participation in the development of education policy and the representation of stakeholders in the governance of all aspects of the education system; |
| (n) | achieving the cost-effective use of education resources and sustainable implementation of education services; |
| (o) | achieving close co-operation between the national and provincial governments on matters relating to education, including the development of capacity in the departments of education, and the effective management of the national education system. |
