A Motsoaledi on behalf of S Moloto: Early Childhood Development
Seminar

12 April 2007

Theme: 'Early childhood development: investing in the future'

Programme Director
MECs here present
Executive Mayor of Waterberg District and Mayor of Mokgalakwena
Municipality
Members of Provincial Legislature and councillors
Traditional leaders
Our Director-General (DG)
ECD experts and practitioners
United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF)
representatives
Academic institutions and non-governmental organisations (NGOs)
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen

Children are the wealth and future of any nation. Our government continues
to hold a view that the development of our society cannot succeed unless it
accommodates and acknowledges the needs and aspirations of our children and
other vulnerable groups. As we have seen in almost all armed conflict
situations in Africa and across the globe, women and children are often the
first victims to suffer the brutality of war. They are the first to be
subjected to rape, violence and murder. We also know that the majority of
people who are refugees are often women and children. This makes women and
children to be more susceptible to poverty and disease, let alone sharing in
the economic benefits of their nation. We hold a view that this situation will
not end unless and until we stop putting our women and children in the
periphery of society. Our conviction is that the true measure of any country's
success lies in the manner in which it values its women and children.

One of the greatest champions of children's rights, Graca Machel, makes this
important observation on how societies must treat their children:

"I come from a culture where traditionally children are seen as both our
present and our future, so I have always believed it is our responsibility as
adults to give children futures worth having."

Both our country and continent are blessed to have people like her and many
others who are unshakeable in their commitment to build a world safe for
children. One of the greatest achievements of our freedom and democracy has
indeed been the development of a framework in our Bill of Rights that protects
the rights of all citizens, including children. Government ratified as early as
1996 the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of the Child so as to
safeguard the interest of all children against exploitation and abuse. The Bill
of Rights, the UN convention and the African Charter on the Rights of the Child
have all been drawn up with a purpose to uplift the potential of each child to
become a better citizen of tomorrow.

We have ensured through these instruments that every child has the
right:

* to a name and a nationality from birth
* to family care or parental care
* basic nutrition, shelter, basic healthcare services and social services
* to be protected from maltreatment, neglect and abuse
* to be protected from exploitative labour practices.

Since 1994, our government has been giving practical expression to these set
of rights and policies by making various interventions such as the primary
school nutrition programme which is implemented in over 2 700 schools
benefiting over a million children. There have also been numerous interventions
such as the child support grants (CSG) which are accessed by no less than one
million children.

Almost all our districts have established child friendly courts in line with
our commitment to protect juveniles or young offenders. Over and above these
interventions, our Department of Health and Social Development continues to
subsidies over 1 000 creches which benefit over 35 000 children. The 'no fee'
schools policy is another latest addition to the number of measures which
government has embarked upon to try and improve access to education for the
majority of children from poor backgrounds.

However, since the passing of various pieces of legislations related to
children's rights and the ratification of the children's convention, we must
contend with the fact that virtually not enough is being done to lay a proper
foundation for the education of the African child. If it was not for apartheid
perhaps the much talked about skills challenge that our country is facing today
would not have occurred had our children been given a solid foundational base
between the ages of 0 to 9 years. At matric level the absence of good early
childhood development foundation is more glaring and further evidenced in the
shocking 2006 matric pass rate statistics which our Minister of Education
Naledi Pandor revealed recently. According to her "only 25 000 candidates
passed higher grade mathematics in the senior certificate exam in 2006 compared
to over 100 000 learners who passed standard grade mathematics."

If this statistic is anything to go by this can only mean that we are far
off from winning the battle for skills development and in fact we have a long
way to go in strengthening our mathematics and science education, especially at
early childhood level and the foundation phase.

Programme Director

Research has proven many a times that the first decade of life is the most
critical window of opportunity in human development to influence health,
learning and behaviour throughout life. ECD is a form of learning that has been
packaged to fulfil all of the child's rights and to give the child the best
start in life. Interventions during early childhood, therefore, can decrease
morbidity and mortality, minimise malnutrition and stunting, improve personal
hygiene and healthcare, prevent child abuse, neglect, vulnerability and
discrimination, improve care and development and increase self-esteem and
social adjustment.

There is ample evidence to show that investment in the early years leads to
economic and social benefits for society through increased employment, moral
regeneration, economic productivity, health and social cost savings such as
juvenile delinquency and teenage pregnancy. Societies that have got higher
levels of human development are known to have increasingly relied on 'human
capital' investment. Therefore, investing time and resources can significantly
impact on the physical, mental and social development of a child as well as
contribute to improving the health, economic wealth, moral wealth and human
capital of a nation. The rationale for ECD becomes even more compelling and
valid in the face of rising HIV and AIDS infections and the increasing number
of orphans and vulnerable girls and boys in our province. Therefore, it should
be quite clear to everyone that ECD sites are not and cannot be reduced to mere
baby sitting centres as they are formal institutions of learning where children
can acquire physical, psychological and cognitive skills at a much earlier
age.

Programme Director

We therefore all have a challenge to ensure that children are valued as
members of society and further protected in their homes, in schools and in
their communities where they are able to grow up in peace and to live their
lives to full potential. To a larger extent we are achieving these objectives
and we can say with confidence that government departments have already begun
prioritising ECD issues as part of their special programmes and the Expanded
Public Works Programmes (EPWP).

A multi-sectoral approach to ECD in our province is not only necessary but
possible. There is a dire need for ECD to be integrated in the Integrated
Development Plans (IDPs) of each and every municipality and across each
government Department. We are pleased that the private sector as well, seems to
be coming on board as we already have more than forty three companies which
have committed themselves through the Girls' Education Movement (GEM) programme
to mentor and do job shadowing for 420 learners in the province as part of
preparing them for future careers. This will ensure that our children are
developed holistically in all spheres of human development. Not least important
in this strategy is the important role which our caregivers play including
fathers, mothers, grandparents, guardians, sisters, brothers in care giving and
child development. In this regard we cannot ignore the sterling role many faith
based organisations (FBOs) continue to play in looking after the needs of our
children. We know that in almost every village and township there is always a
pre-school that is housed in a church hall or a mosque building. This shows the
commitment which FBOs have towards the education of our children. Their
contributions are commendable and have counted enormously to where we are
today.

Programme Director

We must emerge from this conference united in our vision to ensure that:

* all departments in the provincial government make budgetary provision for
children
* all government departments participate fully and with commitment in the
processes of the Provincial Child Rights Advisory Council for children
activities
* that Local Child Rights Advisory Councils for children are established in all
the district municipalities and appropriate personnel is appointed to
co-ordinate this and lastly
* the need for implementation of the provincial children framework and
strategy.

We trust that this interaction about the future of our children will indeed
bear the desired fruits and leave us more inspired to want to do more for our
children.

I thank you

Issued by: Department of Education, Limpopo Provincial Government
12 April 2007