1. LAYING SOLID FOUNDATIONS FOR LEARNING Early Childhood Development
Briefing to the Select Committee on Education and Recreation
Mrs Palesa Tyobeka
Deputy Director-General: General Education
26th August 2009

2. Putting ECD at the center: An education imperative
After 1994 SA accepted the moral responsibility to address significant inequality in opportunity by strengthening focus on the earliest years. Also adopted international definition of ECD as focusing on children from 0 – 9yrs;
Commitment in policy documents on ECD centers around health, promotion and welfare of children in their formative years.
In Education this commitment has been expressed through the drive to Universal Access to Grade R by 2010 (WP6) and participation and co-leadership of the Integrated Plan for Early Childhood Development: Tshwaragano ka bana.

3. 0 – 4 years

4. Introduction to Tshwaragano ka bana
White Paper 5 on Early Childhood Education:
The Department of Education accepts that providing ECD for children younger than five years requires a combination and a variety of programmes that draw in several departments and levels of government, nongovernmental organisations, CBOs, families, parents an children. (White Paper 5 p61)
There are three main role players:
Departments of Education, Health and Social Development (DSD – lead department)

5. General progress to date
Some of the improvement in the access to services for children 0 – 4 years:
Birth registrations have increased from 25% in 1998 to 72% in 2005
Immunisation coverage has increased from 63% in 1998 to over 90% in 2005
90% of births take place in a health facility
86% of eligible 0 – 4 year olds receive a Child Support Grant
The per capita subsidy has increased for children in ECD centres as well as the number of children receiving the subsidy

6. The mandate of the Department of Education
Main focus of Department of Education is to ensure quality of ‘educational experience’ in community sites through ensuring
Quality of programmes, and
Quality of training of practitioners
Providing a quality programme for the sites
Developed National Early Learning and Development Standards
Developed materials for parents and caregivers on how to stimulate their child/ren
Ensuring quality of practitioners
6 684 practitioners currently in training across the country.

7. Major challenges
Lack of accurate and verifiable data on ECD sites across the country. This limits Department of Basic Education’s ability to
audit practitioner numbers and competency levels
Cost and mount a realistic practitioner development programme;
Plan, develop and distribute adequate support materials for enhanced programmes at the sites;
Lack of proper monitoring of the basic requirements for practitioners towards quality practice.

8. Grade r

9. Meeting the target of Universal Access by 2010
Universal access to Grade R inclusive of both provision in public and community sites;
Accurate data not easy to get and current coverage is deduced from the average enrolment in Grades 1, 2 and 3 in the previous year;
In June 2009 national picture indicated 77% coverage;
Indications are that KZN almost at universal coverage already and that most provinces could meet target by 2010;
5 provinces already at 80% coverage;
Gauteng the one province where coverage is ‘challenged’ – currently below 50%;
Planning already to have met target by 2014.

10. Increasing access to QUALITY
EFA Monitoring report of 2005 puts the following key indicators at the center:
Quality Programmes
Adequate Resources
Qualified teachers

11. Towards Quality Programmes
Focus on two key areas
Management of sites
Practitioner support
Management of Grade R sites:
Key criteria/standards developed for quality sites;
Practitioners Support:
Grade R Practical Ideas ( book of ideas and activities) developed;
Milestones document to guide and sequence child development to be sent out to all schools by November.

12. Resources
Grade R Resource Kit to be out in all schools with grade R by November, comprising:
62 page story book with 20 stories
20 wall charts
80 reproducable worksheets
32 page learner resource book
80 page book of lessons
Assessment guideline and activities
A 48 page teacher’s guide

13. Working against achieving the dream
Adequate budget
Conditions of service of ‘practitioners’
Teacher qualifications

14. Current Status Practitioners
ECD viewed as a continuum from 0 – 9 yrs internationally and in SA, but overwhelming majority of ‘practitioners/teachers’ working in Grade R not qualified for employment as educators (but used as such in many schools across the country);
Current entry requirement NQF Level 4 qualification; in community sites an un-enforced Level 1 qualification as requirement;
Inadequate salaries and unattractive/unacceptable conditions of service
Lack of career path – no clear qualifications pathway

15. Areas of priority focus
On qualifications
Develop a Qualification pathway: Complete a 360 credit Level 6 Diploma in Education followed by a Bachelor of Education in Foundation Phase
On Conditions of Service
Agree on minimum stipend to be paid per month
Ensure regular payment