Johannesburg - Close to a quarter (22%) of the 165 059 teaching and managerial staff in the Early Childhood Development (ECD) sector do not have any formal training or qualification, underpinning the enormity of the sector’s challenges, the country’s first-ever census has shown.
It is not all doom and gloom, however, as the ECD 2021 Census conducted by the Department of Basic Education (DBE) in partnership with the LEGO Foundation reveals that more than a quarter (26%) took part in an accredited skills programme, about four out of six (42%) obtained an NQF Level 4 or 5 education, and 10% had an NQF Level 6 or higher.
But the sector is desperate for expansion of ECD programmes, training of practitioners, and the need for better allocation of funds. Interviewed recently after the launch, Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga reckons the findings will inform future crucial actions of ECD in the country, responsibility for which is now under her watch following the switch from the Department of Social Development on April 1.
The first ECD census aimed to gather reliable data and information to move towards a centralised management information system to improve ECD centres’ resource allocation and oversight management across the country. It was released in May.
“While significant progress has been made in terms of providing better ECD programmes since 1994, the sector still faces challenges, including those related to infrastructure, quality of the programmes offered, practitioners’ qualifications and training, and institutional capacity and funding,” said Motshekga.
Field workers for the project visited every ward in the country to get information on Early Learning Programmes (ELPs) and gather basic information on them. Multiple strategies were employed to locate ELPs, and a variety of stakeholders from the ECD sector were enlisted to support the process.
In total, 42 420 ELPs were counted during the census. Gauteng had the highest number of ELPs (25%), followed by KwaZulu-Natal (19%), the Eastern Cape and Limpopo (both 13%).
“It will inform a lot given the enormity of the programme,” said Motshekga. “But it also is a relief that as much as there are 46 000 centres, it’s not too many kids when compared to a (schools) sector where we have 26 000 schools. But we’re servicing 16 million children. So, it also gives a sense of the spread and the balance between learners and practitioners. So, it’s very helpful in terms of planning, and any information that you need also for resourcing to say, here are the main issues,” Motshekga said.
Regarding teacher development at ECD centres, the minister said she expected or had assumed that more practitioners were not qualified to teach than the 22% identified in the census.
“So, I’m not surprised, but I think I’m pleasantly relieved that we don’t have too many educators in that space who are not qualified. In terms of the size of the sector, I knew it was big,” she said.
But the minister said while there are encouraging signs where the realities are better than prior estimates, through the census they were able to identify focused areas of improvement to inform the better allocation of resources to ensure the next generation receives the foundation they need to build a brighter and better future.
Motshekga said the census provided a sense of the spread and the balance between learners and practitioners. It’s also helpful in terms of planning and any information needed for resourcing, etc.
She said it was pleasing to learn that almost 77% of children at the centres are fed, ensuring that their nutritional needs are met. In laying a solid foundation, Motshekga warned that if it doesn't go well, that’s where the development stops.
“If you have not done a proper preparation, it’s not going to thrive. That is why it is key to build a solid foundation for our children because the shape of your house depends on education. I have no doubt in my mind that we're on the right track to get our children on the right path towards development as they grow up.”
The minister said ensuring that the foundation for a better ECD sector was just one of the most important steps taken as a country.
“I am very appreciative of the support from the NGOs in the space, experts in that space, but also, business partners who are helping us. It’s a new space that we’ve not yet gathered enough information, resources and skills, and therefore need lots of support from outside government to solidify this foundation.”
Although the great majority (94%) of ECD programmes charge fees, most (62%) of them also allow at least some children to attend the ECD programme without having to pay a fee. The average monthly fee charged by ECD programmes was R509. However, significant differences exist between provinces, with monthly fees in the Western Cape and Gauteng more than three times higher than fees in the Eastern Cape.
Differences in fee amounts were also clearly discernible between socio-economic quintiles. Parents of children attending quintile 5 programmes were paying significantly higher fees compared to the other primary caregivers. The average quintile 1 and 2 caregiver paid about half of the value of the child support grant at the time of the census.
The census found that ECD programmes subsidised by the Department of Social Development charge much lower fees (average of R208) than ECD programmes that were not subsidised (average of R649). The primary funding source for ECD programmes were fees (69%), followed by government subsidies (27%). The remaining 4% depended on donations, fund-raising and other sources of income.
The highest poverty rates for young children are in Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape. The census shows that while a large proportion of centres in these provinces were receiving DSD subsidy support, a higher proportion of ECD centres in the Free State also received DSD subsidies.
Elaborating on the importance of the work of the private sector partner LEGO in compiling the groundbreaking census, Motshekga said she was grateful to the business sector for playing an active role with funding and support.
The minister said the department also hosted a continental programme on learning through play.
“This is not the first time they’ve (LEGO) donated items on many occasions, including the bricks that we use to train in schools and the bricks we use for the computing and robotics programme. And what is nice about the relationship is that it is project-based specific, it’s targeted, and we will agree on what needs to be done. We work in collaboration as we agree on what should be the priority areas,” she said.
Kasper Ottoson Kanstrup, Head of Programmes at the LEGO Foundation, said the foundation has been involved in South Africa for more than a decade. “A number of the challenges we see in the census have been of a narrative. What probably was most surprising about the ECD space was the little time children have for free play. To me, that is a bit worrisome because children develop a hunger through free play, where they get collaboration skills that are developed socially or emotionally.”
But in both instances, the study found that about half (54% and 45%, respectively) of the ECD programmes allow less than 30 minutes for free play per day.
Nicholas Dowdall, Programme Specialist at the LEGO Foundation, said: “Overall, the impression left by the findings is that we need to do more, both in terms of changing mindsets of practitioners, but also in terms of providing ELPs with suitable materials for play and learning.”
Evidence shows that playful learning approaches in the early years improve academic performance and holistic development by unlocking essential skills that children can apply to more complex tasks throughout their lives. Play-based learning is a fundamental principle for the DBE and is embedded in the National Curriculum Framework for children from birth to four years.
Edwin Naidu is with tech-education start-up Higher Education Media Services.