Pixabay
President Cyril Ramaphosa has admitted that the government is 30 years late in development a framework for early childhood development.
He made the admission on Monday during his opening remarks at the Bana Pele Leadership Summit convened by the Department of Basic Education and supported by Business Leadership South Africa to develop a 2030 roadmap for universal access to early childhood development.
"I'm the first in government to admit that we made a mistake. Early childhood development should have started 30 years ago, that's what we should have done.
"But, as they say in the classics, better late than never," Ramaphosa said, adding that the summit represents the shared belief in the profound importance of Bana Pele, "putting our children first".
President Ramaphosa said the immediate focus should be on extending access to early childhood development to every child, saying that by investing in ECD is not just about education, but also about shaping the next generation of skilled, capable, as well as entrepreneurial citizens who will drive the economy forward.
The summit, is an initiative of the Department of Basic Education and Business Leadership South Africa.
Minister, Siviwe Gwarube, said President Ramaphosa is a true supporter of not just getting quality education in South Africa but also making sure that "we get the early start".
BLSA said it was proud to partner the department on this initiative, noting that the government has allocated R10 billion over the medium term to increase the early childhood development subsidy from R17 to R14 per day.
"This critical investment will lay the foundation for a brighter future, empowering young minds to become the best of the best," said CEO, Busi Mavuso, in a post on X.
She said South Africa is home to approximately seven million children aged 0-5 years, representing the country's future leaders, innovators, and change-makers.
"However, more than 1.3 million children are not enrolled in any form of early childhood development programme, leaving them without the foundational literacy and numeracy skills required to succeed in school," she said.
