Scaling up ECD in South Africa
LINDA BIERSTEKER
III International Symposium on ECD Facing complex social problems – innovation in scaling-up actions Sao Paulo, 2 & 3 October 2013
research@elru.co.za
Outline South African context (indicators, service
access) Description of the ECD Programme Successes and challenges Lessons learned and implications for scale up of services – the new ECD Policy and Comprehensive Programme process
Limpopo
Centre for the Analysis of South African Social Policy
University of Oxford
Some key indicators Population 0 – 4 years million 5.68 million
5 - 6 years
960 000
Infant mortality rate 42 per 1000 Under 5 mortality rate 57 per 1000 58% of children under 9 in income poverty 25% of under 5 year olds stunted, 9 % underweight 29.5 % of pregnant women HIV + Education outcomes at Grade 3 – Literacy pass 52% ; mathematics pass 41%
ECD Programmes in South Africa Area of policy and legislative focus and national planning
priority – defined holistically but often understood as early education. 0 – 4 years: National Integrated Plan for ECD 2005 - 2010 5 – 6 years: Reception Year as a first year of formal schooling Key programmes in support of young children Free health care pregnant and lactating mothers and young children Child support grant R 290 ($35) monthly to poor (no conditions) Reception year
Services for children 0 - 4 years
National Integrated Plan has been service delivery framework involving Depts of health, education and social development (welfare) and three levels of government Wider service package – Maternal and child health, stimulation, social assistance, birth registration, psychosocial support 2.5 to 3 million poor children – priority target Multiple delivery modes and sites – home, community and centre
Key line departments for 0 – 4 year services Monitoring
Lead DOE
DSD
DOH
DOE
DSD
DOH
SOCIAL SERVICE
HEALTH SERVICE
DWCPD Presidency
PREMIER OFFICE
Mayor’s office
NATIONAL
PROVINCIAL
LOCAL
Birth to 5 years
e.g Home visiting
Playgroups childminding
Preschools
Home & community based programmes ECD awareness, health & nutrition
Home & community based programmes: stimulation
Preschools and Reception Year
Achievements since democracy - Access to services children 0 – 6 years (%) 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0
But remaining challenges Continuing disparities in quality and access by
population group, income status, age (mostly older children), rural/urban divide, few children with disabilities in ECD programmes Limited public funding and provision of early stimulation opportunities (ECCE 0 – 4) Service fragmentation – care vs education, health and other social services not integrated No support for parenting – high maternal depression High stunting levels
Scaling up Reception Year
2001 ECD White Paper Reception year for five year olds as first year of
schooling system by 2010 under Department of Education 85% in public schools, 15% in community schools Approved training for all educators without a specialised qualification for Reception Year Funding from provincial education departments – poverty targeted Norms and standards for Reception Year funding 2008 Extension to 2014 in 2008
What worked Period of piloting interim policy, development of
accredited training programmes and national audit Conditional grant (ring-fenced funding) to kick-start programme Legislation of funding norms and standards – pro poor funding formula Nutrition programme for low quintile schools High political will seen in budget increases ($119.5 million in 2008/9 to $420 million for 2014/15
Challenges – especially quality Location in existing infrastructure of public schools but many
schools lack infrastructure, learning materials and understanding of ECD Tendency to formalise early learning when located in schools Ratio of 1:30 not always enforced Lack of properly qualified teachers Provincial budgeting process (and variation in salaries and subsidies) Insufficient officials in provinces and districts to administer, monitor and support Reception Year is not fully part of formal schooling – due to different funding model and teachers not falling under norms and standards for educators Low status and salary of Reception year teachers
Interventions to improve quality
Teacher training opportunities
Infrastructure provision in budget Norms and standards for funding –minimum inputs
specified, provide for monitoring outputs but only up to 70% of Grade 1 funding Draft standards for quality learning programme Model schools, curriculum guidance and additional national monitoring of provincial programmes Resource pack – posters, stories, teacher guide, lesson plans and assessment framework
Draft Policy Framework: Universal Access to Reception Year 2013 Compulsory by 2019
Teacher training: new diploma in Grade R (school leaving
plus three years )as minimum Better alignment of Grade R curriculum with school curriculum assessment policy statements Post provisioning and bringing in line with norms and standards for school funding Integrated into schooling M&E framework
Key systemic barriers to effective delivery in South Africa (0 – 4 years) Policy and planning
Governance
Resources
Delivery
Limited integration across policies Fragmentation and uncoordinated planning for young children Uneven quality of information systems and data A gap between policy and practice Lack of planning based on population (age) and geographical coverage Insufficient inter-sectoral collaboration, coordination and service integration Limited accountability across sectors Inadequate funding and funding models Limited human resources Insufficient service infrastructure Unequal access and quality of services within and across sectors (skewed to urban, preschools and older children) Limited monitoring and support to ensure quality
What must be fixed to enable scale up of services for children 0 - 4 years? Clear institutional arrangements – role specification
and integration mechanism Population based approach Legislation to ensure resourcing is mandatory Better data for planning, clarity re targets for different services Sufficient departmental staff for administration, monitoring and support Build on existing infrastructure (ECD centres, clinics community centres) and existing NGO programmes Advocacy and communication strategy - strengthen demand as well as supply
Addressing challenges: work in progress Diagnostic Review commissioned by Department of
Performance Management and Evaluation (2012) National Planning Commission by 2030 - universal Nutrition, stimulation, parenting 0 – 3 years
Additional preschool year for 3 – 4 years Integrated ECD Programme of Action 2013 – 2018
ECD Policy and Comprehensive Programme currently
under development.