Monday morning’s discussion at the Western Cape Provincial Education G20 Indaba addressed the first theme, Quality Foundational Learning and Early Childhood Development (ECD), during which several department officials and stakeholders presented to attendees on the importance of ECD education.

The flagship event was held under the themes ‘Quality Foundational Learning – with emphasis on Early Childhood Development’, as well as Educational Professional Development for a changing world.

The Western Cape Education Indaba serves as a response to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s recent call for public involvement in the G20 discussions, focusing on the Education Working Group agenda for the 2025 summit.

The indaba follows others that have been held across the provinces, with the Western Cape being the last before a national indaba expected to take place next week.

Western Cape Education Department’s (WCED) Deputy Director-General: Institution Development and Coordination, Alan Meyer, began the presentations by highlighting that research, including the work of Nobel Laureate James Heckman, demonstrates that early learning has a significant impact on a child’s academic, social, and economic success.

“However, in South Africa, not all children aged between 3-5 have access to ECD programmes. While access improved in the Western Cape, it remains uneven, and quality varies widely.

“In one of the first strategic planning sessions, WCED Head of Department, Brent Walter, was very clear in saying that foundational learning is core to what we do. Therefore, what we have been doing in the province has more of a longer history in this particular sector, but we are witnessing a paradigm shift in the whole of Africa,” Meyer said.

“The early years are not the prelude; they are, in actual fact, the cornerstone, and as Dr Heckman reminds us, the highest rate of return in ECD comes from investing as early as possible.

“Today, only 44% of our children are enrolled in ECD programmes, but that is not just a number, it is a material effect of the inequalities that persist – particularly in our rural and underserved communities,” Meyer said.

He said that more than half are missing out on the most critical window of cognitive, emotional, and social development.

Director for ECD, Ruth Leukes, then took to the podium and said that several areas needed assistance, from making sure ECD practitioners are trained, finances to ensure they are adequately remunerated, and also that children were developing a range of cognitive and motor skills needed to help create a solid educational foundation.

“We also have to look at our workforce. I think the minister mentioned, and Mr Meyer mentioned, that our practitioners are the greatest asset. And it is in that realm where our TVET colleges, all six TVET colleges in this province, help us to roll up ECD level 4 and level 5.

“However, we need to focus on upskilling many practitioners who lack qualifications. It is also important that the quality of the ECD program is developed to such an extent that all parents feel comfortable sending their children to early child development centres,” Leukes said.

“We are still sitting with a very, very low base in terms of the number of children that are attending early childhood education centres.”

Leukes also highlighted that they are busy with a mass registration drive that is looking at unregistered sites, to help guide them to become fully registered and compliant with all of the policies.

“We have over 2,535 unregistered sites that have never registered with any department. We now have them in our line of sight. So our role as regulator of the ECD sector is very, very, very important to us, but also the child.

“It is important that our mixed model approach is an approach that speaks to our one challenge in our province, which is in our rural areas. Our children are not accessing early childhood development, and so, therefore, it is important that our peer-guided learning, our non-centre-based offering and our playgroups receive centre stage at the auspicious occasion.”

theolin.tembo@inl.co.za

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