By Amy Musgrave and Johnathan Paoli
South Africa is grappling with the fact that the education system is failing too many of the country’s learners at the foundational stage, according to Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube.
The situation was aggravated by the reality that access to quality early childhood development (ECD) remained deeply unequal, said Gwarube, who participated in a panel discussion at Unicef’s Global High-Level Roundtable on ECD on Monday.
“Children from the wealthiest quintile are 20 percentage points more likely to be developmentally on track by age five compared to those from the poorest quintile.
“This disparity, if left unaddressed, will continue to entrench inequality that has made South Africa the most unequal society on the face of this planet. We cannot continue with such levels of inequality; they are simply unsustainable,” the minister said.
The discussions follow two papers that were published by The Lancet last year. Following the first 1000 days of life that span from conception to two years of age, the next 1000 days of a child’s life from 2–5 years offer a window of opportunity to promote nurturing and caring environments, establish healthy behaviours, and build on early gains to sustain or improve trajectories of healthy development.
Gwarube said that for a long time, the global focus has been on the first 1000 days of a child’s life, which was no doubt a crucial period. But what was clear from the study was that the next 1000 days were just as decisive in determining a child’s cognitive, emotional and physical development.
Recognising the importance of foundational education, Gwarube said South Africa had made ECD reform a national priority.
She said the 2022 transfer of ECD oversight to the Basic Education Department marked a pivotal shift in the country’s approach to early learning.
Gwarube outlined South Africa’s 2030 Strategy for ECD, structured around three key principles – universal access, quality improvement and a “whole-of-society” approach.
Universal access was aimed at ensuring that every child could attend a registered, regulated and government-supported ECD programme, while improving quality would be attained by enhancing training and professional development for ECD practitioners.
Just as important was strengthening partnerships between government, NGOs, businesses and communities to support early learning.
To support these goals, the minister said the government has launched several major initiatives, including a national ECD registration drive, increased public investment, private sector mobilisation and professionalising ECD practitioners.
An additional R539 million has been allocated to the ECD subsidy in the next financial year to expand access, while the department continues to engage the National Treasury on securing long-term, sustainable funding for the sector.
South Africa has launched an ECD Outcomes Fund, which is a R600 million investment over three years that is designed to drive quality improvements and increase access to early learning programmes.
The government has also established an Inter-Ministerial Committee for ECD, bringing together key departments—including Health, Social Development and Treasury—to align efforts and ensure a holistic approach to support young children.
“These interventions are not just about compliance—they are about delivering meaningful change in how we prepare our youngest children for a lifetime of learning and opportunity.”
Gwarube stressed the need for international cooperation, calling on global leaders to prioritise investment in ECD as a key driver of social and economic development.
“The question is not whether we should invest in early childhood development, but how urgently we can scale up our efforts,” the minister said.
As part of this commitment, the minister announced that that she would co-convene the Bana Pele ECD Leadership Summit with Business Leadership South Africa in Johannesburg next week Monday.
The meeting would serve as a platform for stakeholders to outline concrete steps towards achieving universal access to quality ECD programmes by 2030 and get buy-in from partners.
Gwarube told the Unicef roundtable that discussions on ECD were not just about policy. They were about the future of millions of children who deserved the best possible start in life.
INSIDE EDUCATION
