Bana Pele is the Sotho term for ‘Children First’. Many South Africans would agree that we’ve failed to instill this age-old adage – particularly when it comes to early childhood development.
Over 1,3 million children aged between three and five aren’t receiving any form of early education. Only 43% those who are afforded the opportunity to develop their minds early on will reach key milestones such as complete literacy and matriculation.
150 influential leaders from the public and private sector gathered at the 2030 Bana Pele Roadmap Leadership Summit to realise a common vision toward accomplishing countrywide access to top tier Early Childhood Development.
Co-hosted by the Department of Basic Education (DBE) and Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA), the Summit culminated in obligations to accelerate partnerships between the public and private sectors. This investment will ultimately provide young South African learners with a solid foundation for their scholastic journeys.
The presidency has expressed its urgency to improve SA’s ECD. In the keynote address, President Cyril Ramaphosa emphasized the government’s eagerness to get an A+ on this mission. “We’ve seen time and time again how South Africa excels when we come together. We have consistently shown that we can solve difficult problems when we unite for a common cause. We have an opportunity to rethink and restructure the entire ECD landscape, making it more effective, more inclusive, and more impactful than ever before.”
Discussions were centered on three key pillars:
- improving learning outcomes
- raising funds for sustainable growth
- ensuring that there is an all-embracing access to ECD.
This will prove instrumental in coordinating the efforts of SA’s leadership to close the notoriously large ECD gap and cultivate our educational landscape.
The senior leaders that gathered at the Summit (which included decorated donors) committed to scaling ECD infrastructure whilst creating jobs for ECD professionals.
Nonkululeko Nyembezi, BLSA Chair, reiterated this sentiment. “The business of business is not just business. It is also about building a sustainable future. To do that, we need to invest in children today. For too long, ECD investment has been uncoordinated, limiting its impact. Now, with the DBE’s leadership, we finally have a national investment plan to get behind.”
Over the next 12 months, the leaders involved in the ECD overhaul will put together a robust plan to fast-track progress. Furthermore, all parties will reconvene annually to evaluate their respective achievements and consider areas for improvement.
This landmark event may just be the first step in finally putting Bana Pele, enabling SA to move up a grade when it comes to educational quality and inclusivity.
The post Bana Pele: It’s Not Too Late for Early Childhood Development appeared first on The Home Of Great South African News.
Bana Pele is the Sotho term for ‘Children First’. Many South Africans would agree that we’ve failed to instill this age-old adage – particularly when it comes to early childhood development.
The post Bana Pele: It’s Not Too Late for Early Childhood Development appeared first on The Home Of Great South African News. Read More
