Africa-Press – South-Africa. President Cyril Ramaphosa says early childhood development centres play a pivotal role in the country’s development.
In his weekly newsletter, Ramaphosa said he attended the opening of the Little Flower early childhood development (ECD) centre in Bizana in the Eastern Cape last week.
There, he got to spend time with some of the country’s future leaders, reading to them and listening to them, he said.
Impande South Africa recently built the centre through the support of the Nelson Mandela Foundation.
“I was deeply touched by the dedication of the centre’s staff to support the community and its children. They told me how, in the centre’s earliest days, staff struggled to get paid and yet still came to work.
“They also told me that even if families are not able to pay the R20 fee for their child, the children are not turned away.
“The commitment of the ECD centre staff is so important because early childhood development centres play a pivotal role in our nation’s development,” Ramaphosa added.
He said most ECD centres found in villages, towns and cities across the country were started by women to support parents who needed their children to be cared for while they were at work.
“Many of these centres began as creches and daycare facilities. Many have subsequently grown and expanded to incorporate a basic learning curriculum into their services,” he said.
He added:
According to Ramaphosa, the government completed the process of moving ECD services from the Department of Social Development to the Department of Basic Education in April 2022.
“This is to link early childhood development to the formal school curriculum and to provide training, education and development to staff in ECD centres around the country.
“Because this foundational learning is key to a child’s success in later years, the Basic Education Laws Amendment Bill that is currently before Parliament proposes that it be compulsory for all children to receive two years of ECD before they enter Grade 1.
“It is at this stage that children should be taught, learn through play and receive at least one meal a day.
“Early childhood development centres don’t just prepare our country’s youngest citizens to succeed in school; they are also an important source of entrepreneurship and job creation. These centres are an important part of the care economy,” he said.
Ramaphosa added:
Ramaphosa said ECD centres were hit hard during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We must continue to do all we can, as government, the private sector and development organisations, to support early childhood development.
“Preparing our youngest citizens with the tools they need to succeed in life is a responsibility we must collectively shoulder.
“They must be able to pursue their dreams so that we all may achieve our shared dream of a free, prosperous and happy nation.”
For More News And Analysis About South-Africa Follow Africa-Press
