There’s a need to ensure all children access quality ECD: Dept

The Basic Education department says there’s a need to ensure all children access quality early childhood development.

Statistics suggest that over 1.3 million children are not enrolled in any form of the early childhood development programme, leaving them without the foundational literacy and numeracy skills required to succeed in school.

It is against this background that the department together with Business Leadership South Africa have convened the Bana Pele Early Childhood Development Leadership Summit in Johannesburg which was opened by President Cyril Ramaphosa this morning.

Janeli Kotze, the department’s acting director for early childhood development, says: “We know that Early Childhood Development is setting children up for future success. It’s helping them get the foundation that they need so that when they’re in school they are ready to take it on. So we need all children to be able to access quality early childhood development. So we urge the society to come together to make sure children have spaces and so that they can be thriving citizens in our country.”

Early childhood development is about giving children from all backgrounds the opportunity to grow into confident, capable citizens who contribute positively to society.

— Cyril Ramaphosa 🇿🇦 (@CyrilRamaphosa) March 17, 2025

Shedding light on the current status of Early Childhood Development (ECD) in South Africa, the Minister of Basic Education, Ms Siviwe Gwarube, delivers her Address. #BanaPeleECDSummit#GovZAUpdates#PartnersInEducation#EducationZA@BLSA_Official pic.twitter.com/jhW3AIWPU6

— Dep. Basic Education (@DBE_SA) March 17, 2025