3rd NQF RESEARCH

CONFERENCE

Sectoral Plan Update for Early

Childhood Development

Marie-Louise SamuelsDirector: Early Childhood Development

Department of Basic Education05 September 2019

OVERVIEW

• Background Information

• Current developments

• Report on plan

• Way forward

BACKGROUND

INFORMATION

WHAT IS ECD?

Early Childhood Development (ECD) refers to the physical, cognitive, linguistic, and socio-emotional development of a child from the prenatal stage up to age eight.

World Bank / UNICEF / World Health Organisation

ECD AT A GLANCE

2,4 million children currently attending ECD centres, about

700, 000 receive a subsidy

24 171 centres in South Africa

110 000 practitioners who are currently employed at ECD

centres.35 210 of these practitioners have at least an NQF Level 4

qualification

The average child-to-practitioner ratio is 22:1

ECD Vision

By 2030 we will have put in place a comprehensive ECD ecosystem that is built to serve and support

children, families, practitioners, centres and communities.

To achieve this: Need to increase access and improve

quality

CURRENT

DEVELOPMENTS

SoNA February 2019

“This year, we will migrate responsibility for ECDcentres from Social Development to Basic Education,”and

“Proceed with the process towards two years ofcompulsory ECD for all children before they enterGrade 1.”

UPDATE ON “FUNCTION SHIFT”

• The Presidency is leading the reconfiguration of theExecutive and departments to be completed within tenmonths (June 2019 to March 2020) through the NMOGprogramme (National Macro Organisation ofGovernment)

• The DPSA is responsible for amongst others:– Project managing the implementation of the NMOG process

– Facilitating collective agreement and inform labour on progress

– Assisting the Presidency with drafting and quality assuring legal documents

UPDATE ON “FUNCTION SHIFT”

• As part of the process 6 work streams have beenidentified:a) HRM, Organisational Design, Labour Relations and Change Management

(affected staff, placement of staff, costing of structures, labour relations etc.)

b) Infrastructure and Assets (office/ department accommodation and assets)

c) Finance (shifting of funds between departments)

d) Information and Communication Technology (ICT analysis andimplementation etc.)

e) Legal and Policy (proclamations, legislative and listing of departments)

f) Communications (branding and naming of departments, client related changemanagement issues)

POST PROCLAMATION

• Overall leadership and coordination;

• Gradual migration of Grade R and Grade RR– By 2030 all Grade R learners will be in schools (Public

and Independent) and in registered ECD centres; and

– By 2035 all Grade RR learners will be in schools (Publicand Independent) and registered ECD centres.

• Systematic relocation of other functions from DSDto DBE by 2030.

COMPLIMENTARY PROCESSES

• Training and Curriculum Sub-committee of the National Interdepartmental ECD Committee and National Intersectoral Forum;

• Education Labour Relations Committee (ELRC) – Early Childhood Development Work Stream;

• Human Resource Work Stream at DBE and PEDs

SECTOR PLAN

ECD SECTOR PLAN• Goal 12: National Integrated ECD PolicyAdvocacy

• SACE to presentProfessionalisation

• SAQA to conduct researchResearch

• SAQA to lead in mapping process.Career Lattice

• Develop a single document.Collaboration

• “Bogus” courses, “Bogus” institutionsAccreditation

• Conduct a comprehensive auditECD data

• To be developed post ProclamationTheory of Change

• To be developed post ProclamationAdvocate ECD vision and mission

• To be developed post ProclamationConditions of Service

WAY FORWARD

Looking to the Future – ECD Vision

• Rethinking a highly functional Organisational Structure for effective coordination between different government departments – anchored in the DBE

• Developing a new model of Funding for ECD centres, programmes and practitioners that is aligned with DBE systems.

• Designing an Education Management Information System for the ECD sector

• Developing a Quality Assurance System that allows for constant feedback, directed support and tracking of progress

• Developing an HR plan to ensure a Professionalised Workforce of ECD practitioners and educators who are able to service the needs of the sector

GOAL

By 2030: Develop appropriate cadres of early childhood development practitioners, in sufficient numbers and with sufficient skills to support the implementation of the national integrated early childhood development policy and programme.

Early Childhood Development Learning Pathways

NQF L1

NQF L2

NQF L3

NQF L4

NQF L5

NQF L6

NQF L7

NQF L8

NQF L9

NQF L10

GETC: ABET: ECD

-FETC: ECD

-National Certificate: ECD

-Other recognised

Certificates at level 4

-Higher Certificate: ECCE

-National Diploma: ECCE

-Other recognised Diplomas

and Certificates at level 5

NCV 4 (ECD)

NCV 3 (ECD)

NCV 2 (ECD)

NSC / SC

Grade 11 (school)

Grade 10 (school)

Grade 9 (school)

B.Ed: ECCE

B.Ed (Hons): ECCE

Masters: ECCE

Professional Masters:

ECCE

PhD: ECCE

Professional PhD: ECCE

PG Dip: ECCE

Adv Dip:

ECCE

Dip: ECCE

-Advanced Certificate:

ECCE

ECD Unit

Standards

(244255, 244528,

244262)

Certificate CD:

ECD

FETC: CD: ECD

Certificate CD:

ECD

GET

-N6 Educare Diploma