“Count our tiny voices too!”
“Count our tiny voices too!”
By Riedewhaan Allie
Director, Foundation for Community Work
Locally and internationally the value of good preschool education is recognised. In 2007 an expert panel of economists ranked ECD as the first of 40 potential solutions to development problems in Latin America (Budlender, 2015). It is for this reason that the ECD sector in South Africa use the economic argument supported by the World Bank and leading economists, to bolster the call for more direct investment in ECD. Research shows that investment in early childhood have a future return of between 7 – 18 percent, and that young children who are exposed to quality ECD programmes are more likely to complete schooling, and become gainfully employed in their adult years. If the South African government were to match ECD spending compared to higher education, the future savings on social security, remedial and rehabilitation services could be significant.
Using a “rights-based framework” child advocates and ECD NGOs argue that ECD is a right, and not merely a means to achieve other developmental goals. ECD as an apex priority at all levels of government, has been highlighted in recent policy developments. Since the World Summit for Children of 1990, which endorsed the widespread ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the follow-up conference held in Dakar, in 2000, all member states committed to expanding early childhood care and education for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children. Article 18 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, states that: “For the purposes of guaranteeing and promoting the rights set forth in the present Convention, State Parties shall render appropriate assistance to parents and legal guardians in the performance of their child rearing responsibilities and shall ensure the development of institutions, facilities and services for the care of children.”
Research on ECD over the last two decades confirms the importance of ECD and the potential social policy benefits to societies who adequately invest in children’s early development. Research also shows that the skills developed in early childhood form the basis for future learning and labour market success. ECD experience and participation enhances a child’s ability to learn, work with others and develop social skills that are the foundation for formal learning and social interaction in the school years and beyond. Failure to develop these foundational skills can lead to long-term, often irreversible effects on educational attainment, health and productive earnings, which later result in significant costs for both individuals and society (Heckman and Masterov 2007).
We however know that preschool provision is skewed and that the bulk of our children under the age of 6 years still cannot access preschool services because of poverty and many are still struggling to access Grade R in order to prepare them for the challenges of the school system. This begs the question: “How do we expect to turn educational outcomes around for our children?”
Optimal brain development in the first two to three years of children’s lives can be compromised when poor socio-economic and environmental conditions prevail. Examples of communities on the vast Cape Flats and the growing informal settlements, show that families are living in appalling conditions. These communities are also known for its high levels of crime and violence which are all conditions that can lead to a build up of toxicity in young children which affects their coping and healthy brain development. This is further compounded when we have to consider growing poverty, food insecurity, high levels of alcohol and substance abuse that leads to stunting and underdevelopment in children.
Martin and Slemming in their article “Health System: best ECD boost” (Weekend Argus, 16 September 2017) righfully argues that the health system needs to be overhauled with a stronger emphasis on ECD services already during pregnancy and the first two years of life to ensure holistic early intervention so that language, hearing, vision and oral health can be identified, assessed and addressed before children enter the formal school system as it might be too late for remediation to overcome these barriers to learning.
The current preschool model and subsidy system are also in need of review. ECD services in townships compared to the leafy suburbs, remain a reflection of the disparity between the “haves” and “have-nots” where a minority of children have access to excellent preschool programmes with well qualified and experienced teachers, while most of our township children have to make-do with inexperienced and unqualified teachers in overcrowded conditions. The demand for ECD services therefore require of parents and communities to insist that the preschools become registered and better resourced which could lead to improved services that will hopefully give all our young children the head start they require.
Through collaborative engagements ECD NGOs have to start scaling and rolling out various ECD strategies such as home visiting and parenting programmes, playgroups, reading circles, educational toy libraries and mobiles programmes that are being implemented so that more children can benefit. As duty bearers we are duty bound to stand at the polling station in 2019 to demand better services for our youngest citizens. On behalf of the voiceless children we say “#Count our tiny voices too!” Next year parents in poor communities will know where to make their mark when our politicians take our children’s needs seriously.
The ECD and care needs of young children and women are two sides of one coin. Therefore we have to explore how our collaborative strategies also look at the increasing levels of violence and crime against women and children at a time when child murders and rapes leave us all shocked at the moral degradation that creeps in.
