South Africa

Needs of preschool children in spotlight
Sue Blaine
Education Correspondent Business Day

THE number of preschool children attending public preschools has increased by about 400000 during the past six years and some classes now have 60 children to a single teacher, the education department said yesterday.

This meant quality was compromised, said Marie-Louise Samuels, the education department’s director of early childhood development. Samuels was speaking at the annual Ntataise conference in Vanderbijlpark.

Ntataise is a nongovernmental organisation that provides 15 organisations, which train preschool teachers mostly for rural areas. The number of children under five, attending government preschools, increased from 273500 in 2000 to about 600000 this year.

It is estimated that there are about 1-million children in each age cohort. The department’s plan hopes to provide preschools to 80% — or about 800000 — under-fives by 2010.

Samuels said the education department realised that access to preschools had to be expanded to all South African children — especially the poor.

Research had shown that good preschool education was more advantageous for children of disadvantaged parents.

Research had also shown it was not necessary to provide state-of-the-art facilities. Excellent work could take place “in a shack”.

What was important was that the children were stimulated by their teachers, she said.

The problem of overcrowding was a challenge to the provision of quality government preschools, and one that the education department was often not rising to meet.

“Often we are not even meeting the minimum standards,” Samuels said.

The department would be reviewing all qualifications in early childhood development, for the public and private sector, but not until after 2009, Samuels said.

The department was also attempting to determine how to provide support to poor families, which needed help in developing their young children, without taking over that responsibility, she said.

Comment: It doesn't matter where in the world you live, the truth is, children want to learn. They come aboard the life boat wanting and needing to learn. The question is, what will they learn, from whom, and how long will it stay with them and make a contribution to their lives?