In 2012, Government identified Early Childhood Development (ECD) as an apex priority and declared it a public good. Research has shown that children who experience a formal ECD education at an early age perform better at school, have better employment opportunities later in life, and contribute more to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of a country than children who do not experience a formal ECD education.
The Department of Social Development is expanding access to ECD services, with specific focus on disadvantaged communities, such as rural villages and poor townships. The successful expansion of ECD services throughout the country can be attributed to the contribution of unsung ECD practitioners who work to give children an early start for a better future.
Every day, we hear of exceptional ECD centres and practitioners who help build a solid educational foundation for many children, often under very challenging circumstances.
To recognise and celebrate excellence and innovation in the sector, the Deputy Minister will host the annual ECD Awards in Polokwane, Limpopo Province on Tuesday, 11 December 2018. The Awards are an initiative of the National Development Agency (NDA), an entity of the Department of Social Development seeks to honour outstanding ECD centres and practitioners and highlight the importance of early learning education in breaking intergenerational and in improving educational outcomes for children.
Categories for the awards include Best ECD Centre of the Year, Best ECD Practitioner of the Year, Best ECD Non-Centre Programme of the Year, Best ECD Trainer, Best ECD Programme for Children with disabilities of the Year, and Best ECD Centre-Based Nutrition Programme of the Year.
Improving access to ECD is part of the 1000 days campaign, an initiative that seeks to improve nutrition, health and educational opportunities for children in poor communities, including children with disabilities. To date, 827 338 children have access to ECD, with a R15 per child per day over 264 days of the year. To expedite the implementation of the National Integrated Policy on ECD and to ensure more young children benefit from the programme, Government has allocated R812 Million over the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF).
Members of the media are invited to attend and cover Active Ageing Programme activities planned as follows:
Date: Tuesday, 11 December 2018
Time: 18h00
Venue: Protea Hotel-The Ranch
Media RSVPs may be send to Mr Justice Malapane on 066 480 6849/ JusticeD@dsd.gov.za and Ms Nomfundo Lentsoane on 066 480 6845/ NomfundoLe@dsd.gov.za
Media inquiries may be forwarded to:
Ms Lumka Oliphant
Cell: 083 484 8067
E-mail: LumkaO@dsd.gov.za
