Presentation to Education Portfolio Committee, 29 May

2001

White Paper Early Childhood Development

Why invest in ECD now?The Social and Educational argument

1. The unprecedented opportunity created by the ending of apartheid.

2. Recognition that all reasonable plans for human development begin early.

Why invest in ECD now?The Social and Educational argument

3. Most brain development occurs before a child reaches three years

4. Children’s needs and indivisible rights span the areas of health, nutrition, a safe environment and psychosocial and cognitive development.

Why invest in ECD now?The Social and Educational argument

5. Consensus that the care of young children should provide them with suitable educational experiences

6. Evidence that young children are capable learners

7. Suitable education experiences during the preschool years can have a positive impact on later school learning.     

Why invest in ECD now?The economic argument

6. Given a healthy start and a solid foundation in the first months and years of their lives children are less likely to:

• Suffer from illnesses, • repeat grades, • drop out or need remedial services

7. Resulting in:• Increased productivity over a lifetime • A better standard of living when a child becomes an

adult• Higher earnings for parents, especially women, and

caregivers who are freer to enter the labour market.

Why invest in ECD now?The economic argument

• The changing agency of women

• Benefits that are difficult to cost and quantify, e.g. an improvement in siblings’ health status and in family relations.

Sequence of policy development moments

• Interim Constitution, 1993.• Education White Paper 1, 1995.• South African Schools Act, 1996.• Interim ECD Policy, 1996.• Reception Year Pilot for 5 year olds, 1996-1999,

and final research report.• Audit of ECD all sites, 2000/01.• ECD Green Paper, 2000/01.

Essence of policy proposals in Green Paper

• Establishment of a national, comprehensive, accredited pre-school Reception Year programme (Grade R) for 5 year olds; this will be the first of ten years of compulsory general education.

• Provision of early childhood development to 0-4 year olds improved within the NPA for Children with a focus on curriculum, practitioner development and career pathing, safety and new standards for all providers.

Essence of policy proposals in Green Paper

• Special programmes for 4 year olds who are HIV/AIDS infected or have special learning needs.

Three models for Reception Year for 5 year olds

1. Reception Year as part of public provision within the public school system – 80% of provision, 800,000 places; subsidised

2. Reception Year as part of public provision within selected community based centres – 13% of provision, 135,000 places; subsidised

Three models for Reception Year for 5 year olds

3. Reception Year as part of independent provision by community based centres, independent schools and pre-primary schools – 7% of provision, 65,000 places; not subsidised

Implementation plan for Reception Year

• Complete development of policies and norms.

• Revise resourcing strategy within public school system; currently 200,000 funded places; 2001-2003.

• Phase in subsidised provision through selected community based centres beginning with 18 development nodal points, reaching national ceiling of 4,500 centres by 2004; conditional grant within MTEF 2001-2004.

Resourcing strategy for Reception Year

• Expand subsidised provision within public school system on a poverty targeted and progressive basis from 200,000 to 800,000; 2004-2010, through

• Provincial department of education subsidies on a per learner basis that are fully poverty targeted, allocated to school governing bodies as direct grants in aid.

Impact of resourcing mechanisms

• Enables a combination of the lower cost of community-based centres;

• The multiplier effect on quality in non-Reception Year provision by community based centres;

• The possibility of greater quality control and accountability

Impact of resourcing mechanisms

• Easier administrative reach of this model by provincial departments of education.

• By poverty targeting the entire subsidy, a greater share of total educational resources would flow towards the poor.

Fiscal space to expand ECD provision for 5 year olds

Current trends Lowered fertility rate – 30,000 fewer learners per

year in Grade 1 cohort.

Increased learner through flow caused by effective implementation of new age of admission policies and reducing repetition rates caused by the improving quality of the education service

Lowering primary school enrollment rate

Fiscal space to expand ECD provision for 5 year olds

Current budgetary commitment MTEF 2001-2004 accommodates 135,000

community centre-based subsidised places as a conditional grant.

MTEF 2001-2004 accommodates about 200,000 primary school-based subsidised places.

Fiscal space to expand ECD provision for 5 year olds

From 2004, leading up to 2010 fiscal space created by lowered fertility, increased learner through flow and improved quality of the education service can accommodate costs of additional 600,000 subsidised places.

Lowering fertility rate   

  Demographic Shift in School-Entry Cohort

0.50

0.60

0.70

0.80

0.90

1.00

1.10

1.20

1.30

1.40

1985

1986

1987

1988

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

Re

lativ

e s

ize

of

the

7-y

r. a

ge

co

ho

rt

1999 OHS 1997 OHS 1999 Trend 1997 Trend

Lowering primary school enrolment

               

Primary School Enrolment Trend

5

5.5

6

6.5

7

7.5

8

8.519

86

1987

1988

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

Enrolment

Mil

lio

ns

of

lea

rne

rs

Past and projected cost scenarios

Cost Scenarios Past and Present

0

0.20.4

0.6

0.81

1.2

1.41.6

1.8

1990 1995 2000 2005 2010

Re

lati

ve

co

st

Base trendPopulation shift and efficiency gainsPopulation shift, efficiency gains and ECD growth

Conclusion

• Sound social, educational and economic rationales for the provision of Early Childhood Development exist.

• Any decision to invest significantly in our very young children, beginning with 4 and 5 year olds reflects our commitment to provide a better life for all beginning before our children enter school.