Question NW2879 to the Minister of Social Development
21 December 2020 - NW2879
Arries, Ms LH to ask the Minister of Social Development
What steps has her department taken to ensure that the quality and standards of early childhood development (ECD) centres in townships and villages is equal to that of ECD centres in more affluent areas?
Reply:
The Children’s Act and regulations outlines the general norms and standards for all ECD programmes wherever they are. The Act also prescribes that ECD services can be registered conditionally. To address this, the department developed the registration framework which gives effect to the registration of the services conditionally. The framework recommends registrations in three levels, that is bronze, Silver and gold. The bronze and silver level gives programmes the opportunity to register even when they do not comply with all the norms and standards. This is a developmental approach that has been taken to assist the programmes for the department to assist them to ultimately move to full registration (gold). This quality standards apply to all programmes whether in urban, settlements, rural and farm areas.