Opposition MPs walked out of parliament’s basic education committee on Tuesday in protest after the chair declined to take questions on a report on the Basic Education Laws Amendment (Bela) Bill that appears to have ignored thousands of public submissions.

Their walkout delayed the committee’s clause-by-clause deliberation on the bill because it left the meeting without a quorum, and it also drew attention to parliament’s constitutional obligation to consult the public on proposed legislation or risk having new laws struck down by the courts...

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