EARLY LEARNING RESOURCE UNIT (ELRU)

ELRU is a research, development & training organisation, which supports the needs of vulnerable children & their families in the 0-9 years age category

CHILDREN’S BILL

FACT SHEET 1

Early Childhood Development (ECD): The importance of the Period 0 – 9 years

Research, South African and international, shows that the early years are critical for the development of human potential. The period before birth and the first seven or eight years of life is a time of rapid physical, intellectual, emotional, social and moral development. By the age of 2 ½ years a child’s brain has reached 50% of its adult weight, and by the age of 5 it has grown to 90% of its adult weight. Many of the brain’s structures and biochemical routes are developed in the first two years.

The rapid development of certain baseline cognitive abilities between birth and five years must be supported if the child is to thrive and become a capable adult. This critical period of development does not stop at five or six but continues through the age of eight years.

We now know that physical, mental, social and emotional development and learning are inter-related. Progress in one area affects progress in the others. When something goes wrong in any one of those areas it affects all of the others. For example children who are malnourished are not able to learn, children with learning problems often have low self-esteem. Services for young children and their families need to be holistic providing attention to the child’s health, nutritional, cognitive and socio-emotional needs as well as ensuring that families receive support in order to provide for their children. .

Learning and development happen as children interact with others and with objects in their environment. In the years 0 – 9 children develop best through active involvement in concrete experiences within a supportive social and emotional environment.

Early development has effects on later development but these are not always positive. Changing conditions (including conditions in the family) can both undermine or support what has already been attained.

Although there is a pattern for development each child is unique and the rate and quality of development will vary from child to child. This will depend on the child’s genetic makeup, and the environment in which he or she struggles to survive and develop.

The good news is that children are very resilient in these early years and appropriate interventions can lead to improvements.

 

Economic and Rights Arguments for Investment in ECD

As well as the constitutional imperative that the rights of children are realised there are compelling developmental and economic arguments for ensuring adequate and sufficient holistic services for this age group.

Good quality ECD services and exposing children to appropriate early stimulation, nutrition, health and care has many benefits.

Of equal importance for South Africa’s development priorities, is that ECD services can support increased income generation and economic activity of women both in formal and informal sector activities. It can also be a vehicle for their own education and development. The majority of women have the need to combine economically productive work with care and nurturing of their children and the burden of this falls most heavily on low income women particularly those in female headed households.

ECD has provided employment and training opportunities for many disadvantaged black women in a labour market segmented by race and gender
The focus on women as part of a poverty eradication strategy may bring in a
focus on children also.

Access to ECD services is therefore an equity issue with its potential to enhance the long term capacity of women and children to participate fully in the realisation of their rights and abilities. The 1995 Poverty and Inequality Report recommended it as a poverty alleviation measure.

 

Telephone: (021) 7627500 Fax: (021) 7627528

Email: [email protected] or [email protected]

Telephone: (021) 7627500 Fax: (021) 7627528

Email: [email protected] or [email protected]

ELRU is a research, development & training organisation, which supports the needs of vulnerable children & their families in the 0-9 years age category

 

 

 

CHILDREN’S BILL

FACT SHEET 2

What’s the Problem in ECD?

Limited Access

The Department of Education’s nation-wide audit of ECD in May/June 2000 was the first large survey of ECD service provision in South Africa. A total of 23 482 sites - serving 1 030 473 children - were audited. This indicates that only 16% of the 6.4 million children under seven years of age were in some form of ECD service in May/June 2000. 84% of children fall outside of established provision.

Table 1 - Enrolment of children 0 - 7+ (as at May/June 2000) as a percentage of the provincial child population.

Province

% of provincial child population enrolled for ECD

Eastern Cape

13%

Free State

20%

Gauteng

26%

KwaZulu Natal

15%

Mpumalanga

11%

Northern Cape

16%

Northern Province

8%

North West

10%

Western Cape

25%

Total

16%

Calculated from: 1999 October Household Survey population statistics and Department of Education (2001)

Most children attending ECD facilities are aged 5 – 6 years and access to services for children under 3 is very limited.

Lack of access to ECD programmes and services is a particular problem for young children in families who are poor, or have special needs such as disabilities and/or living in households affected and infected by HIV/AIDS.

Funding

The majority of ECD sites are community-based (49%) and home-based (34%). Fees are the main source of income within the ECD sector and the only source of income for 28% of facilities. A third of sites charge of less than R25 per month

Sources of income for ECD sites (Department of Education, 2001)

Recovery of fees is irregular from the parents who very often have difficulty in paying. This makes ECD sites hard to sustain and leads to many poor quality services. 44% of educators earn less than R 500 per month. The lack of equipment and inadequate nutrition offered at many sites further demonstrates the severe financial constraints under which the sector operates. Public sector subsidisation therefore plays an important role in improving the viability and quality of service provision

Governance

The different needs of the young child cannot be separated. Development in one area depends upon development of all the others. An integrated approach to servicing is essential. Increased effectiveness and cost savings can be brought about through integrated service delivery in development, health and education. Unfortunately ECD does not fall neatly into any one government department or level of government. Both education and social development policy call for an integrated, cross-sectoral approach and a plan that will involve all stakeholders and role players. The vehicle for this has been the National Programme of Action, but in practice effective collaboration is hard to achieve. Simply calling for interdepartmental collaboration has not helped. A legislative structure is needed hence the call for the National Policy Framework, a national strategic plan for ECD and associated budgetary commitment.

Registration of ECD facilities provides an example of the current un-integrated approach. In order to register, a facility has to comply with local government regulations, social services regulations and additionally if there are five year old children, with education regulations. These are all time-consuming and separate processes, and in some cases the regulations are contradictory. In addition because so many departments are involved there is lack of clarity as to who is responsible for provision of certain critical services e.g. a comprehensive nutrition programme and after care services which are also underdeveloped and under-funded.

Quality

The audit found ECD sites is consistent with national population figures, both in terms of gender and population group. However more facilities serving African children are below average on infrastructure (building, water and sanitation) and support (fees, income sources, registration and management committee) than for other population groups. Appropriately trained staff and resources to offer a balanced programme of health, nutrition and educational stimulation are critical.

Service Provision

Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have played a critical role in the delivery of ECD programmes and services. Donor funding, which in the past went directly to NGOs, is now channelled mainly via the government which does not deploy them in a strategically consistent manner. The funding crisis has led to the closure of a number of NGOs over the last few years. The role of NGOs needs clarification in the legislative framework.