The recently released Early Childhood Development Census revealed that the sector needs significant financial and training support in addition to infrastructure.
The census highlighted several challenges, including the lack of learning material and training and further revealed that only 60% of the ECD programmes surveyed have flush toilets, while around a third of all schools do not have taps to supply water for hand washing.
Ahead of Mandela Day, MySchool, together with Breadline Africa, have committed to continue allocating funds to upgrading classrooms, toilets, kitchens and office facilities at ECD centres across South Africa.
Breadline Africa is a non-profit organisation that uses funds donated from the MySchool programme.
Studies have shown that solid investment in ECD plays a significant role in whether or not children go on to achieve their full potential.
Children do not learn when they are hungry, and many ECD centres do not have adequate kitchen facilities available to prepare meals, the group said.
Children also do not learn optimally in dark, damp, unsafe, cold, unventilated, draughty, leaking spaces where learning materials and resources are in short supply.
The ECD sector has been one of the sectors most impacted by Covid-19, with many nursery schools and crèches having to close their doors due to the severe effects of the lockdowns. This situation was compounded by the Department of Social Development’s delay in paying out money from the R496 million allocated to the sector as part of an employment stimulus relief fund to help it recover.
The pandemic also temporarily halted Breadline Africa’s infrastructure project as its team couldn’t access community projects during lockdown.
Strategic Partnerships manager at Breadline Africa, Diane Laugksch, said that despite these challenges, Breadline Africa’s goal to erect 1 000 school infrastructure units by 2023 remained on track.
“Upgrading facilities is an important aspect to ensuring ECD centres meet requirements for registration with the Department of Basic Education. Once registered, centres are able to access government funding, which contributes to their sustainability,” Laugksch said.
Breadline Africa has so far placed more than 850 structures at community-run projects in resource-poor communities across South Africa, with the goal for this year to secure funding to place 193 structures at community projects. At some sites, the organisation also hopes to test a range of environmentally sustainable infrastructure solutions.
“On average, we have the capacity to place 150 structures per year. Since 1996, Breadline Africa has placed more than 850 structures at community-run projects in resource-poor communities across South Africa. These are predominantly container and prefabricated structures used as classroom, kitchen and toilet facilities at ECD centres and as libraries in quintile 1-3 (no fee-paying) public primary schools,” Laugksch explained.
She said that inadequate and poor ECD facilities impact learner performance and that this year, they hoped to secure funding to place 193 structures at community projects.
“Children do not learn when they are hungry, and many ECD centres do not have adequate kitchen facilities available to prepare meals. Children also do not learn optimally in dark, damp, unsafe, cold, unventilated, draughty, leaking spaces where learning materials and resources are in short supply,” Laugksch said.
At some sites, the organisation also hopes to test a range of environmentally sustainable infrastructure solutions.
Pieter Twine, General Manager at MySchool, said focusing on early childhood development now was crucial to the success of the country and youth.
“We have to ensure that we do our children justice in providing them with early learning opportunities in their formative years, which sets the stage for their success at school as well as later in life,” Twine said.
As MySchool celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, they share their commitment with Breadline Africa - one of its long-standing beneficiaries.
Over the years, Breadline Africa has allocated funds received from MySchool to upgrading classrooms, toilets, kitchens and office facilities at ECD centres across South Africa.
Shoppers can continue supporting Breadline Africa every time they swipe their MySchool, MyVillage or MyPlanet cards at participating retailers, and a percentage of their spend will be donated to the organisation.
For more information, visit www.myschool.co.za
Education