How do we make ECD a top priority?

1. Resources for ECDDoron IsaacsDeputy General SecretaryEqual Educationwww.equaleducation.org.za@equal_education@doronisaacs

2. How do we make ECD a top priority? • “We always see communities protest over unemployment and lack of infrastructure but never over children’s rights to early developments programmes. This is something we as a country must start to prioritise.” – BathabileDlamini, Minister of Social Development, 2012.

4. Why is ECD be important to EE? Grade 3 ANA problem (national) (V-ANA 2011) Source of slide: www.nicspaull.com Correct answer (15cm): 40% of Gr 3 students

5. Grade 6 literacy in the WC Literacy pass rates for Grade 6, by grade and ex-dept (Source: WCED, 2010) This data asks the following question: What percentage of learners perform at grade 6 level? So for example in the top left block it is how many grade 6 learners, at former Cape Education Department [CED] i.e. white schools, perform at grade 6 level? Note, HOR means House of Reps (formerly coloured schools) and DET means Dept of Education & Training (formerly black schools).

6. Grade 6 numeracy in the WC Numeracy pass rates for Grade 6, by grade and ex-dept (Source: WCED, 2010) This data asks the following question: What percentage of learners perform at grade 6 level? So for example in the top left block it is how many grade 6 learners, at former Cape Education Department [CED] i.e. white schools, perform at grade 6 level? Note, HOR means House of Reps (formerly coloured schools) and DET means Dept of Education & Training (formerly black schools).

7. Children in South Africa • 61% live below the poverty line1 • 36% live in homes where no adults employed2 • 95,000 children live in child-headed households3 • 17% of black children live in hunger4 • 7m lack direct access to clean drinking water5 • 10.5 million access Child Support Grant6 • Infant mortality cut to 34 from 52 ten years ago7 • General Household Survey 2009 5. Child Gauge, 2010 • Statistics SA (2010) 6. Child Gauge, 2010 (R280 per month) • Child Gauge, 2011 7. Child Gauge, 2011 • Ibid.

8. ECD Picture • Of the 51.7m people in SA about 7m are aged 0-6. Of these 1.3m are in ECD programs, of which around 780,000 are in Grade R. 1 • There are 24,000 ECD centres, of which 18,000 are registered, of which around 9,000 are funded. • 488,000 children (58%) are receiving ECD subsidy.2 • Around 60,000 women are employed in the sector. • The figure in 2012 was 767,865. • DBE 2012, pg 82 of Atmore et al 2012 Transformation Audit.

9. Infrastructure: its bad in our schools… • Source: NEIMS 2011

10. Infrastructure: but even worse in ECD… • Audit of ECD sites in 2000 showed 23,482 sites in SA, of which only 11,420 has electricity, water and toilets. And 1,669 (8%) had none of the above.1 • 21% of registered ECD centres have no elec.2 • 50% of ECD sites have piped water3 • Around 60% have flushing toilets, 10% use buckets.4 • DBE 2001. • UNICEF / DBE / DoSD Study, 2011. (27% of unregistered facilities lack elec.) • Ibid • Ibid.

11. SA’s ECD Centres Single purpose buildingTrained teacherLearning programNo SubsidyR3500 feesGood adminWell financed Building, learning program, Meal, some training 5% 20% 30% 45% Church hall, garage, home Some training Semblance of routine Something to eat Rickety, overcrowded, untrained, no equipment, no program, basic meal

12. How is ECD funded? • Biggest funder of ECD in SA: Parents. • 70% - 80% of funding for the sector is by parents.1 • Compare to schools: Only 10% of national spend on education comes from fees (around R15bn).2 • Prof Eric Atmore, interview, August 2013. • Report on the 2009 2010 Annual Surveys for Ordinary Schools, DBE.

13. How is ECD funded? • Teachers not employed by province  employed by SGBs. Average salary around R800 per month.1 • Grade R is funded by Edudepts: R15 subsidy per child per day for 195 school days  R7000 per month for everything2 • Pre-Grade R, ECD is funded by DoSD: R15 subsidy per child per day for 250 days. Child’s family means-tested at R3000 per month. (Centre must be registered.) • School Feeding Scheme officially kicks in in Grade 1. • Prof Eric Atmore. • Note: Grade R funding is calculated according to N&S published by DBE in 2006, amended in 2008.

14. National Planning Commission • The National Development Plan (NDP) says there should be two years of pre-school education ‘compulsory’. i.e. Two years of compulsory Grade R.1 • Access to ECD for 0-3 year olds should be ‘universal’2 • Elsewhere the NDP is ambiguous…3 • NPC 2012, p 69. (White Paper 5 also says Grade R ‘compulsory’ but they now say ‘universal’) • NPC 2012, p 300. • See pages 30, 34 and 70.

15. Implementing the NDP • An additional 33,000 classrooms for Grade R would be needed by 2030, estimated at R13.2bn.1 • Additional 33,000 teachers for Grade R needed, estimated at R2bn per year.2 • Atmore et al, 2012 Transformation Audit, 84. • Ibid.

16. Progress has been made… • Enrolment in Grade R up from 226,631 in 2001 to around 767,865 in 2012.1 • Grade R spending up from R446m in 2004 to R3.2bn in 2010. • Free medical and health care services for pregnant women and for children 0-6. • 10.5 million children receiving child support grant.2 • DoE / DBE. • Child Gauge, 2010

17. Way to go… www.equaleducation.org.za@equal_education@doronisaacs