President Ramaphosa highlights importance of Early Childhood Development with BELA Act
President Ramaphosa highlights importance of Early Childhood Development with BELA Act! President Cyril Ramaphosa has underscored the importance of Early Childhood Development (ECD) in improving South Africa’s education system, particularly through the implementation of the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Act.
In his weekly newsletter, Ramaphosa highlighted that the BELA Act would place a stronger emphasis on early childhood education, ensuring that South Africa’s children are better prepared for formal schooling and can build a stronger educational foundation.
A Focus on Strengthening Foundations
Ramaphosa’s comments follow his participation in the Basic Education Lekgotla held last week, where educators, policymakers, and experts convened to discuss strategies for realigning the country’s education system. One of the key topics on the agenda was the importance of strengthening foundational learning. This includes not only a focus on early childhood development but also addressing the quality of education at the primary school level and ensuring that teachers are properly trained to provide effective instruction from the start.
Ramaphosa’s statement highlights the urgent need to improve the early learning phase to provide learners with the essential skills to thrive in later grades. Reflecting on the alarming statistics from the 2030 reading panel, which found that 80% of Grade 3 learners are unable to read for meaning in any language, Ramaphosa expressed concern over the dire state of early education in South Africa.
The Impact of Poor Early Childhood Education
The president emphasized that the lack of adequate early childhood education plays a major role in the country’s educational crisis, particularly with regard to students’ progression to matriculation. Ramaphosa pointed out that many learners fail to make it to the final year of high school because they were never given the necessary grounding in their foundational years. According to Ramaphosa, without solid early education, students often fall behind and struggle to catch up in later grades, which negatively impacts their chances of success and ultimately contributes to high dropout rates.
President Ramaphosa’s concerns are not just about the academic performance of children, but also the long-term consequences that a lack of proper education has on the broader society. Skills gaps and unequal access to quality education perpetuate cycles of poverty and inequality, which are a significant barrier to national development.
Reflecting on the Legacy of Bantu Education
Ramaphosa also took a moment to reflect on South Africa’s painful history, noting that the Bantu Education system during apartheid had deliberately neglected black children’s access to quality education, particularly in the crucial early years. Under apartheid, education for black South Africans was severely underfunded and limited in scope, which created a lasting legacy of educational disadvantage that persists today.
The Bantu Education system was structured to maintain the status quo of racial inequality, and its effects are still felt in many areas of the country, particularly in rural and historically disadvantaged communities. Ramaphosa pointed out that the historical neglect of ECD has had a generational impact on the quality of education and learners’ ability to succeed in the modern world.
The Role of the BELA Act
The Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Act, which Ramaphosa referred to in his newsletter, is part of the government’s effort to correct the inequalities in the education system and improve the future prospects of learners. The BELA Act aims to bring about key changes that will improve governance and accountability within schools, as well as strengthen early childhood education. This includes initiatives to regulate and provide more robust oversight over ECD centres, as well as ensuring that children are receiving quality education from a younger age.
The BELA Act will also ensure that children are better prepared for formal schooling, enabling them to develop literacy and numeracy skills at an early age, which are essential for their future academic success. It will also provide a framework to improve the quality of teacher training, ensuring that educators are equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to teach young learners effectively.
Collaboration for Change
Ramaphosa stressed that all stakeholders in the education sector, including government bodies, teachers, and school communities, are committed to ensuring that foundational learning is prioritized. The aim is to close the educational gap that exists due to the historical inequalities and to give every child in South Africa the best possible chance of success from the very beginning of their educational journey.
The president’s focus on early childhood development aligns with global education trends that emphasize the importance of the first few years of a child’s life in shaping their future academic and life outcomes. South Africa, like many other countries, has recognized that investing in early education is essential for economic growth and social development.
As the BELA Act comes into effect, President Ramaphosa hopes it will help turn the tide on South Africa’s educational challenges by addressing the root causes of poor performance in schools and ensuring that children are empowered from an early age to succeed in the classroom and beyond.
