15 November

Opening Notes

Human development is fundamental for a human being to reach their full potential. Our history of colonialism and imperialism globally has had adverse implications for many nations which are considered developing nations. The negative impact was the creation of inequality in societies. This has resulted in limiting the opportunities of many to reach their full human potential. It is for this reason that the people of South Africa in Kliptown resolved that the doors of learning shall be opened.

This is a fundamental commitment of the people of South Africa. Post-1994 we have committed as the ANC to place education as an apex priority because we understand that it is through education that we can give all South Africans the opportunity to reach their human potential.

Over the past 30 years, we can all attest that the democratic government has made strides in closing the inequality gap among schools. We have built state-of-the-art schools in rural areas and in townships. We have improved learning outcomes in schools that had little hope due to no resources. We have improved the living conditions of the marginalised through our education system.

We have identified a gap in our education system, which is the Early Childhood Development Phase, though the Department of Social Development, as a custodian of the Children Act has made strides in expanding access to early learning in our communities, the gap remains. Statistics South Africa in 2018 reported that 43 % of children aged 0-6 did not attend any educational institution in 2018. South Africa’s total population was estimated at 60 million people, of whom 20 million were children under 18 years. Children make up 34% of the total population. 58% of children are living in the poorest 40% of households (the poorest two quintiles), compared with 42% of adults.

It is for this reason that the African National Congress in its conferences resolved that ECD must be migrated from Social Development to Basic Education. This is one of the major milestones of the ANC in the sixth administration as it began the path off improving the quality of early learning for all children and the journey to attaining universal access.

This is also A Manifesto Commitment of the ANC, which we will not relent because it represents an opportunity to create equality amongst children. Sustainable Development Goal 4.2 also aims to ensure universal access to quality early childhood development We want a reality where a child in the village and township and those in informal settlements have access to quality early learning at a young age, like the children of those in the middle and upper strata whose children have access to early learning facilities and qualified practitioners.

Over the past years, the Department of Education has introduced grade R in schools and has also had a vision of introducing grade RR. This is a fundamental policy orientation to strengthen the foundation of our education system, which improves the cognitive development of children and their abilities to read and write and have enhanced comprehension at an early age.

We know too well that the children of today are children who live in the digital age, and at a very young age, they already learn the skills to use phones and to download games from the Internet and other uses. This is evidence that affirms that a human brain is at its best abilities to learn within the first 5 years.

The Basic Education Laws Amendment Act includes Grade R to be Compulsory which will enable the department to have more resource allocation. We must state that Grade R is already offered in many public schools and the government has been investing in improving the skills of ECD practitioners.

The implementation of the first 1000 days of children should also be interconnected with a transition to early learning. This is important as childcare and early learning are interlinked. This highlights the importance of continous cooperation between the department of Social Development and Basic Education and Health.

Just 33% of countries legally stipulate at least one year of free early childhood education, 21% one year of compulsory early childhood education and 17% one year of free and compulsory.

There are 1.3 million children between the ages of 4 and 5 in South Africa. Plus, minus nine hundred and thirty thousand in early learning (930 000), which is 72% are in early learning.

The study found that 84% of our ECDs provided breakfast and 94% provided lunch, while 34% do not have access to an outdoor playground with suitable equipment and 56% have access to ageappropriate books for different ages.

This indicates that through ECD’s we can take care of the holistic development of our children and we should all commit to achieving universal healthcare.

Only 33% of the ECDs are subsidised by the Department of Basic Education whiles 67% are not subsidised. 43% of the ECDs are not registered with the Department of Basic Education.

The department focus on ECD will ensure that the government plays a significant role in subsidising ECDs and the private sector and NPOs should also continue supporting the ECD sector.

It takes a village to raise a child and if we combine our efforts as South Africans to protect and raise our children, from the family, community, school, churches, and other spaces for children, we will be certain that our nation will be a better and more equitable nation in the future.