Universal early childhood development should have started 30 years ago: Ramaphosa

President Cyril Ramaphosa says implementation of universal early childhood development (ECD) education should have started with the dawn of democracy in 1994 because of the substantial long-term benefits it delivers.

His government is boosting investment in the sector, he told the the Bana Pele [children first] summit on ECD education in Johannesburg on Monday, as proven by last week’s budget allocation of an additional R10bn to be spent on the ECD subsidy over the next three years. The funding increases the subsidy to R24 per day per child from R17. The extra funding will also support increased access to ECD for about 700,000 more children up to the age of four years.

The summit, jointly hosted by the basic education department and Business Leadership South Africa, aims to draft a road map to reach children who are not enrolled in a ECD programme, leaving them without the foundational literacy and numeracy skills required to succeed in school.

“As South Africans we have a clear goal for all our children — access to quality learning opportunities for an additional 1.3-million children by 2030. I think it’s possible,” he said.

Investing in ECD is not all about education. It is about shaping the next generation of skilled, capable and entrepreneurial citizens who will drive the economy forward.

“Investing in ECD yields significant economic returns. Studies have shown every rand spent on ECD can save up to R7 in future costs associated with remedial education, social services as well as criminal justice.

“Early childhood development provides children with the foundational skills they need to build a successful future.

“It helps to break the cycle of poverty that is handed down from one generation to the next.

“Early childhood development is about giving children from all backgrounds the opportunity to grow into confident, capable citizens who contribute positively to society.”

He also cited a research report that estimated an investment of 2.1% of GDP in universal childcare in South Africa could have supported 10.5-million women to join the workforce over three years.

TimesLIVE