By Johnathan Paoli
Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube has urged a renewed national focus on early childhood development (ECD), warning that South Africa’s long-term educational success depends on the foundations laid in pre-school years.
Speaking at the launch of the 2024 Thrive by Five Index in Sandton on Monday, Gwarube said the findings provide both a sobering reality check and a roadmap for urgent action
“Literacy does not begin when a child learns to read in Grade 1. It begins in the preschool years, in the way a child holds a pencil, in the stories they hear, and in their earliest attempts at writing. If the beginning of the story is weak, the chapters that follow will always be harder to write,” she said.
The Thrive by Five Index, conducted by DataDrive2030 in partnership with the department, assessed more than 5 000 four-year-old children across 1 388 early learning programmes (ELPs) nationwide.
It is the largest survey of its kind on the continent and the first comprehensive post-COVID snapshot of pre-school development.
Gwarube stressed that the availability of high-quality data was crucial to shaping education policy.
“The 2021 Index confirmed the correlation between poverty and poor outcomes, and the 2024 Index reinforces this. That clarity has guided us to double our efforts in making the case for investing in the early years. The R10 billion for ECD support announced by the Minister of Finance [Enoch Godongwana] shows that we are on the right course,” she said.
One of the most striking findings was the stark inequality between high- and low-fee preschools.
Only 42% of enrolled children were found to be developmentally on track, with those in well-resourced centres twice as likely to thrive as those in underfunded programmes.
Fine motor coordination and visual motor integration emerged as the weakest domain, with just 29% of children on track, undermining the ability to transition into reading and writing in primary school.
The minister highlighted another critical challenge: the home environment.
Among enrolled children, only 11% of households had more than five children’s books, while 26% had none. For non-enrolled children, the figure rose to 77%.
To address the gap, the department has partnered with UNICEF and Book Dash to create Stories for Joy, a multilingual collection of storybooks that will be made freely available online.
Gwarube underlined that early childhood development is not only about education but also about health, nutrition, and safe communities.
She outlined four areas of government’s commitment.
In terms of finance and investment, she said it remained important to make subsidies predictable and remove barriers for the poorest children.
In order to facilitate empowering practitioners, the department is planning on investing in training and strengthening pedagogical practices.
Gwarube called for integrated services by partnering with health departments and supporting parents.
Lastly, she emphasised strengthening Grade R and ensuring it bridges gaps for those who start behind and builds on strengths for others.
“The Thrive by Five Index is not just a measure, it is a movement to ensure every child starts school ready to learn, to grow, and to thrive. By 2030, no child should be left behind because of where they were born or how much their parents earn,” she concluded.
DataDrive2030 Executive Director Sonja Glese presented the findings with a stark demonstration: attendees were asked to stand according to colour coded dots representing children on track, falling behind, or far behind.
Most stood in the “falling behind” categories.
Glese highlighted three key obstacles: nutrition, programme quality, and access.
While stunting among enrolled children stood at 7%, she warned that even mild malnutrition can set children back by months of learning.
She also revealed that only 27% of ELPs were rated good, while 30% were inadequate, with strong teaching strategies present in just 17%.
“ECD qualifications alone are not enough, we need to focus on what truly matters in the classroom: curiosity-driven, interactive teaching,” Glese said.
The plight of non-enrolled children was particularly alarming. Only 18% were on track, while more than half were far behind. Most lived in homes with no books and had never been read to.
Despite the challenges, Glese struck a note of optimism.
“We have evidence that poor outcomes for poor children are not inevitable. Some children in difficult circumstances do exceptionally well, showing us what is possible. If we make this a national priority, we can change their story,” she said.
The Thrive by Five Index is set to be repeated every three years until 2030, providing an evolving picture of South Africa’s progress.
Both Gwarube and Glese framed the Index as a rallying point for collective action across government, civil society, and families.
INSIDE EDUCATION
