ActionSA believes Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres play an essential in providing care and support to children during their formative years and therefore form a key part of South Africa’s educational framework. The ruling party has, however, in recent years, neglected ECD centres and has made it burdensome for new ECD centres to be registered.
Speaking to ECD practitioners in Johannesburg on Tuesday evening, accompanied by our President, Herman Mashaba, I shared how ECD centres play in crucial role in ensuring that children receive the care and support they need during their formative years. Despite this, in his Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement, the Minister of Finance, announced a proposed R50 million infrastructure budget cuts for ECDs. This is devastating to South Africa’s more than 40,000 ECD centres.
The South African Government absurdly spends a meagre R17 a day on a child in a state authorised ECD centre, and R363 a day on a prisoner in one of our prisons. Investing in the future of our country requires that we prioritise our young children, and make sure that they get the best possible start to their education journey.
During his tenure as Executive Mayor of the City of Johannesburg, Mr Mashaba increased funding for ECD centres and fostered partnerships with the private sector to expand access to quality ECD services, recognizing the importance of early childhood development in building cognitive and social foundations.
An ActionSA government plans to build on Mashaba’s legacy by adopting a policy which would direct additional funding and support to ECD centres nationwide upon assuming government control, emphasizing the need for safe, nutritious and educationally enriching environments.
ActionSA furthermore proposes an increase in the ECD budget to provide affordable childcare options for parents, enabling them to contribute productively to the economy. This includes enhancing nutrition programs and expanding training for ECD practitioners, including those at informal centres. We would streamline the bureaucratic process for ECD centre registration to facilitate easier access to government funding and encourage more private partnerships to boost investment in the sector.
We simply cannot allow our children to be let down by the South African Government which has to adequately support the ECD industry. However, for ActionSA’s solutions to be implemented, it requires that as many people as possible vote for ActionSA in the coming election. It is by taking action at the ballot box that we can improve ECD centres in South Africa because only action will fix South Africa.
While the ruling party has cut funding towards ECD Centres – An ActionSA Government would expand it
ActionSA believes Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres play an essential in providing care and support to children during their formative years and therefore form a key part of South Africa’s educational framework. The ruling party has, however, in recent years, neglected ECD centres and has made it burdensome for new ECD centres to be registered.
Speaking to ECD practitioners in Johannesburg on Tuesday evening, accompanied by our President, Herman Mashaba, I shared how ECD centres play in crucial role in ensuring that children receive the care and support they need during their formative years. Despite this, in his Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement, the Minister of Finance, announced a proposed R50 million infrastructure budget cuts for ECDs. This is devastating to South Africa’s more than 40,000 ECD centres.
The South African Government absurdly spends a meagre R17 a day on a child in a state authorised ECD centre, and R363 a day on a prisoner in one of our prisons. Investing in the future of our country requires that we prioritise our young children, and make sure that they get the best possible start to their education journey.
During his tenure as Executive Mayor of the City of Johannesburg, Mr Mashaba increased funding for ECD centres and fostered partnerships with the private sector to expand access to quality ECD services, recognizing the importance of early childhood development in building cognitive and social foundations.
An ActionSA government plans to build on Mashaba’s legacy by adopting a policy which would direct additional funding and support to ECD centres nationwide upon assuming government control, emphasizing the need for safe, nutritious and educationally enriching environments.
ActionSA furthermore proposes an increase in the ECD budget to provide affordable childcare options for parents, enabling them to contribute productively to the economy. This includes enhancing nutrition programs and expanding training for ECD practitioners, including those at informal centres. We would streamline the bureaucratic process for ECD centre registration to facilitate easier access to government funding and encourage more private partnerships to boost investment in the sector.
We simply cannot allow our children to be let down by the South African Government which has to adequately support the ECD industry. However, for ActionSA’s solutions to be implemented, it requires that as many people as possible vote for ActionSA in the coming election. It is by taking action at the ballot box that we can improve ECD centres in South Africa because only action will fix South Africa.