The Department of Basic Education (DBE) projects that it will have taken over the management of Early Childhood Development (ECD) from the Department of Social Development (DSD) by April.
This was revealed at a joint sitting with the portfolio committee on basic education and social development yesterday.
In February, at the State of the Nation Address President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that he would be shifting ECD to fall under DBE. Ramaphosa signed the proclamation relating to the transfer of powers of the ECD sector to the DBE.
“The department have further reached consensus on the scope of the function shift. Provisions from both Chapter 5 (only relating to ECD) and Chapter 6 of the Children’s Act, 2005 have been identified for transfer,” the portfolio committee heard.”
The second proclamation which has to be signed by the Premiers was also signed.
“The proclamations further specify that the date of implementation of the ECD function shift will be April 1, 2022,” the departments said.
ECD Census
The two departments, as part of the implementation steps, will first conduct a census which will gather data information of all registered and non-registered ECD centres. The census will be used to integrate ECDs to the DBE’s Education Management Information System and will expand the provisions of education support programmes as well as play-based learning.
The census will run from August 26 to December 2021.
SA Early Years Index and baseline assessment
Outcomes from the baseline assessments of four-year-old children will assist the education department in tracking and improving the quality of ECD provisions for the next five to 10 years.